FBP1048 Local Authority Freight Management Guide[1]

8/9/2019 FBP1048 Local Authority Freight Management Guide[1]

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Local Authority Freight

Management Guide

G u i d e


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Acknowledgements

Freight Best Practice wishes to thank the following

organisations for their contributions to the development

and production of the Local Authority Freight

Management Guide:

Tyne and Wear Local Transport Plan Team

Greater Manchester Joint Transport Team

Hull City Council

Gloucestershire County Council

Bristol City Council

West Sussex County Council

Yorkshire and Humber Regional Assembly


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Foreword

Freight Best Practice is funded by the Department for

Transport and managed by Faber Maunsell Ltd to

promote operational efficiency within freight operations

in England.

Freight Best Practice offers FREE essential informationfor the freight industry, covering topics such as saving

fuel, developing skills, equipment and systems,

operational efficiency and performance management.

All FREE materials are available to download from

www.freightbestpractice.org.uk or can be ordered

through the Hotline on 0845 877 0 877.

Throughout this guide you will see this

signpost - directing you to relevant publications

from the Freight Best Practice programme.

Disclaimer: While the Department for Transport (DfT) has made

every effort to ensure the information in this document is accurate,

DfT does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of

that information; and it cannot accept liability for any loss or damagesof any kind resulting from reliance on the information or guidance this

document contains.



Contents

1 Introduction 1

1.1 What Is Freight? 1

1.2 Aim of the Guide 1

1.3 About the Guide 1

1.4 How the Guide Has Been Developed 11.5 Who Should Read it? 1

1.6 How the Guide Is Organised 1

Understanding Freight 3

2 Benefits and Impact of Freight 4

2.1 Introduction 4

2.2 The Benefits 4

2.3 The Costs 5

2.4 Future Trends 5

2.5 Summary 6

3 Balancing Priorities 7

3.1 Introduction 7

3.2 Justifying Resources for Freight 7

3.3 Allocating Resources Across Different Modes of Freight Transport 7

3.4 Continuous Development of Priorities 8

3.5 Competing with Other LTP Priorities 8

3.6 Summary 8

4 Freight Policy Context 9

4.1 Introduction 9

4.2 National Freight Policy 9

4.3 Regional Freight Policy 11

4.4 Local Freight Policy 12

5 Analysing Freight Movements 13

5.1 Introduction 13

5.2 The Importance of Understanding Localised Freight 13

5.3 Stage 1: Making Best Use of Existing Information 13

5.4 Stage 2: New Information to Enhance Understanding 14

5.5 Outline Solutions 16

5.6 Summary 16

Judging the Impacts of Freight Management 17

6 Strategy Development and Evaluation 18

6.1 Introduction 18

6.2 Stage 1: Initial Assessment 186.3 Stage 2: Full Assessment 19

6.4 Stage 3: Monitoring Assessment 20

6.5 Summary 20

iii



Road Freight Management 21

7 Lorry Routing 22

7.1 Introduction 22

7.2 The Need for a Lorry Routing Strategy 22

7.3 A Practical Approach to Development of a Routing Strategy 22

7.4 Communicating a Routing Strategy 23

8 Traffic Management 26

8.1 Introduction 26

8.2 Lorry Bans 26

8.3 Road Signage 26

8.4 Intelligent Transport Systems 27

8.5 Improving Road Safety 27

8.6 De-trunking 28

8.7 ‘No Car’ Lanes 28

9 Effective Management of Deliveries 29

9.1 Introduction 29

9.2 Urban Access Restrictions and Curfews 29

9.3 Parking and Loading Control 29

9.4 Decriminalised Parking Enforcement (DPE) 30

9.5 Urban Consolidation Centres (UCC) 30

10 Managing Freight in Rural Areas 32

10.1 Introduction 32

10.2 The Issues 3210.3 Interventions 33

11 Driver Rest Facilities and Lorry Parking 34


11.2 The Need for Lorry Parking 34

11.3 Wider Benefits 34

11.4 Assessing the Requirements 34

11.5 Site Selection Criteria 35

11.6 Attracting Private Sector Investment 36

11.7 Operation 36

12 Public Sector Fleet Operations 38


12.2 Understanding Public Sector Fleet Operations 38

12.3 Reviewing the Operation 39

Other Modes 41

13 Non-road Modes 42


13.2 The Contribution of Rail Freight 42

13.3 Rail Freight Facilities 42

iv



13.4 Local Authority Role 43

13.5 Inland Waterways Introduction 44

13.6 Potential of Waterborne Freight 44

13.7 Effective Planning for Freight Transport Using Inland Waterways 44

14 Improving Access to Seaports and Airports 46


14.2 National Freight Policy 46

14.3 Role of the Local Authority 47

14.4 Strategic Surface Access Arrangements 48

Solution Process 49

15 Communication and Partnership 50


15.2 Aims of Freight Partnerships 50

15.3 Types of Partnership 5015.4 Benefits of Partnerships 51

15.5 Establishing a Partnership 51

15.6 Partnership Action Plans 51

15.7 Maintaining Momentum 51

16 Funding 53

16.1 Overview 53

16.2 Local Transport Plans 53

16.3 Freight Grants to Support Mode Shift (Rail and Water) 53

16.4 Transport Innovation Fund 54

16.5 Section 106 54

16.6 European Regional Development Fund 54

17 Bibliography 56

v

Case Studies

Case Study 1: Tyne and Wear - Nature of Freight p.15

Case Study 2: Greater Manchester Drivers’ Freight Map p.25

Case Study 3: ‘No Car’ Lanes in Tyne and Wear p.28

Case Study 4: Bristol Freight Consolidation Scheme p.31

Case Study 5: Managing Deliveries in East Grinstead (West Sussex County Council) p.31

Case Study 6: Priory Park Truckstop (Hull City Concil) p.36

Case Study 7: Yorkshire and Humber Driver Rest Facility and Lory Parking Audit p.37

Case Study 8: Hull’s Environmental Fleet Operation p.40

Case Study 9: Sharpness Dock (Gloucestershire County Council) p.43

Case Study 10: Tyne and Wear Freight Partnership Action Plan p.52



1 Introduction

1.1 What Is Freight?

Freight transport is the movement of goods or burden

from point to point in the course of a commercial

transaction. The nature and size of individual

operations vary enormously, covering a wide-ranging

remit including road, rail, water, air transport and

pipeline. Moving freight is a part of our everyday life,

supporting the economy and employing over a million

people in the UK. An efficient system of freight

movement also has great importance in facilitating

growth within local industries rather than just national

or international businesses.

1.2 Aim of the Guide

The guide is a reference document for local authority

officers with responsibility for freight. It aims to improve

the understanding of the nature of freight, leading to

the production of high quality and deliverable freight

strategies and action plans. This will foster efficient

operations that minimise the impacts on environment,

safety and other transport users. It provides advice and

support for policies, such as Local Transport Plan (LTP)

strategies, and aims to enhance local authority delivery

performance. The guide is thus not a policy itself;rather it is a document that shows how targets within

policy can be focused on and achieved.

1.3 About the Guide

This guide is a Freight Best Practice document, funded

by the Department for Transport. It will promote

awareness of this programme and encourage take-up

of the resources and information available. Freight Best

Practice provides authoritative, impartial advice to help

the freight industry save money through improvements

to fleet efficiency. It does this through the provision of

guides, case studies, DVDs and software to help the

freight industry; these are grouped in the following

categories:

Saving Fuel

Developing Skills

Equipment and Systems

Operational Efficiency

Performance Management

Public Sector

This guide can be found in the pubic sector category

and is available FREE from the Hotline on

0845 877 0 877 or to download from

www.freightbestpractice.org.uk

1.4 How the Guide Has BeenDeveloped

The guide has been developed through a survey of 112

local authorities in England and through extensive

research of published information and study reports.

The survey gathered information on the freight actions

implemented as part of their LTP process. Local

authorities have made good progress in developing

freight strategies and 77% of respondents reported that

at least some freight actions identified in their

authority's LTP had been implemented. The most

commonly implemented actions were:

Signage improvements

Advisory lorry/strategic routing

Freight maps

Set-up of a Freight Quality Partnership

The examples of actions provided by local authorities

are shown as case studies throughout this guide.

1.5 Who Should Read it?

The guide is for local authority officers who are

involved in the planning and delivery of measures

relevant to the management of freight. It will also be of

assistance to Regional Assemblies (RAs) in preparing

regional freight strategies. RAs play a particularly

important co-ordinating role and address cross-

boundary issues, which could include large-scale

developments or schemes that would have a

widespread impact. The guide may also be of use tothe Highways Agency and regional development

agencies (RDAs).

1.6 How the Guide Is Organised

This document has been set out under five overarching

headings, which cover the main themes addressed

within the guide. The themes are:

Understanding Freight

Judging the Impacts of Freight Management

Road Freight Management

1



Understanding Freight

2 Benefits and Impact of Freight

3 Balancing Priorities

4 Freight Policy Context

5 Analysing Freight Movements



2.1 Introduction

A helpful first step in trying to bring together an

effective and appropriate plan to manage freight within

a local authority area is to begin to grasp the broad role

of freight within our society. It is important to capture in

a balanced way the complex relationship, interactions,

benefits and tensions between freight and society.

Freight transport supports our lifestyles; everything we

use and consume is normally delivered through a

complex chain of movements from raw materials to the

final point of use. However, freight movement can also

present real challenges in terms of safety, congestion,

noise, vibration and contributing to poorer local air

quality. It is important for the contribution and cost of

freight to be understood in order to reach decisions in

an objective way.

2.2 The Benefits

Link to Economic Activity

Figure 2.1 shows over time the close relationship

between gross domestic product (GDP), the volume of

freight moved and construction output. The message

here is that although there may be fluctuations in the

relationship, especially with an increasing amount of

service industry-based economic activity. If you want to

maintain and increase economic activity then freight

movement is the inevitable consequence.

2 Benefits and Impact of Freight

100

110

120

130

140

150

160

170

180

190

200

1 9 8 0

1 9 8 2

1 9 8 4

1 9 8 6

1 9 8 8

1 9 9 0

1 9 9 2

1 9 9 4

1 9 9 6

1 9 9 8

2 0 0 0

2 0 0 2

2 0 0 4

Year

I n d e x GDP

Construction

Output

Freight Moved

Figure 2.1 HGV Traffic and Economic Growth (1980-2005)

Action Points

Understanding the broad role that freight plays in

society and how it supports our lifestyles is

fundamental to any decision-making process:

If you want to maintain and increase economic

activity then freight movement is the inevitable

consequence

Over 1 million people are employed in the

logistics sector, making it the fifth largest sector

in the UK

Levels of rail freight moved by 2005 have

increased by 66% (measured in tonne per km)

since privatisation in 1995

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions from road

hauliers increased by more than a third

between 1990 and 2002. Road freight nowaccounts for 8% of UK carbon dioxide

emissions

Traffic growth for rigid heavy goods vehicles

(HGVs) is forecast to rise by 14% between

2005 and 2020

The bottom line is that freight enables society to

function, meaning that management of freight should

not be an optional activity for local authorities but

important enough to warrant proper and meaningful

consideration followed by practical action.

Freight is an integral part of increased economic activity



Employment

As well as supporting virtually all economic activity, the

freight industry directly employs a great number of

people - over 1 million - making the logistics sector the

fifth largest sector in the UK. Bear in mind these direct

and indirect employment benefits when thinking about

the importance of freight.

Changing Nature of Freight

Figure 2.2 shows how the proportion of bulk goods

moved has declined in recent years with corresponding

increases in food miles and miscellaneous products,

including the large volumes of imported finished goods.

This changing mix of goods that are moved can have a

significant effect on individual authorities, maybe

through a reduced volume of bulk goods movements or

an increase in the intensity of ‘last leg’ movements inorder to support the significant growth in food product

line availability.

2.3 The Costs

Pollution from Emissions

Owing to increasingly stringent European legislation,

individual lorries’ pollution levels are decreasing.

However, in 2005 the Department for Environment,

Food and Rural Affairs reported that CO2

emissions

from road hauliers increased by more than a third

between 1990 and 2002. Road freight now accounts for

8% of UK CO2 emissions. For a local authority the

general problem may become specific, with heavy

concentrations of road freight traffic contributing to

particular areas of poor air quality arising from

pollutants emitted along with CO2.

An example of how changes in distribution have

contributed towards increased environmental

concerns is in the food industry. Globalisation of the

industry has meant an increase in international

trade and this has been coupled with a

concentration of the food supply base into fewer,

larger suppliers. There have also been changes in

delivery patterns, with most goods being routed

through regional distribution centres, and there has

been a centralisation and concentration of sales in

supermarkets. The increasing amount of miles

travelled by imported products owing to a more

‘connected and shrinking world’ also has costly

implications of increased waste, fuel usage, and

planning requirements.

Noise and Visual Intrusion

The impacts of freight in terms of visual intrusion, noise

and vibration have been well reported; these cause

particular problems on roads where goods vehicles

comprise a high proportion of the total traffic (e.g. on

approaches to ports). Where these link roads are local

authority-owned there is good reason to link up with the

Highways Agency, and port and freight operators to

identify congestion-easing measures.

Road Safety

When large road freight vehicles are involved in

accidents their sheer size and weight mean that those

accidents tend to be more severe than those involving

cars alone. However, despite overall increasing traffic

levels the number of deaths in accidents involving

heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) in 2001 was 26% lower

than in 1991 (DfT, 2003). For the most part the actions

taken by local authorities to improve road safety will

apply to all road traffic. However, there may be specific

locations, for example, with narrow carriageway or

steep inclines, where HGVs could be the subject of

particular action.

2.4 Future Trends

Freight movement is here to stay and it is set to grow;

the National Road Traffic Forecasts (1997) show that

traffic growth for rigid HGVs is forecast to rise by 14%

between 2005 and 2020. The outlook is positive for rail

freight - whilst it seems unlikely that aspirations to grow

rail freight by 80% by 2010 will be achieved, levels of

freight moved by 2005 have increased by 55%

(measured in tonne per km) since privatisation in 1995.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

% S

h a r e o f G o o d s

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2004 2005

Year

Miscellaneous Products

Chemicals, Petrol &

Fertiliser

Bulk Products

Food, Drink and

Tobacco

Figure 2.2 Goods Moved by Commodity

(1980-2005) - HGVs



Rail freight's market share also increased over the

same period from 8.5% to 11.7%. This means that on

average the impact of freight transport on local

authorities will rise rather than decline over time.

2.5 Summary

The facts in this section show that managing freight is

important enough to warrant proper and meaningful

consideration, followed by practical action. This is in

respect of making the most from the support to the

local economy, in better managing road freight

movements to minimise their impact and, where there

is a viable option, to assist or allow goods movement

by rail, air or water.



3.1 Introduction

Freight can sometimes be at the end of a long list of

priorities within LTP budgets. If you have been given

responsibility for freight then it will be important for you

to put forward a robust and impartial case if you are to

ensure that the freight management actions you plan to

undertake compare favourably with other spending

priorities. This is not always the case and a range of

authorities, especially those with major freight

generators such as a port, are already advanced in

understanding and dealing with freight issues

3.2 Justifying Resources for Freight

If you are starting from a low knowledge base then, in

the first instance, you may have to justify the resources

necessary simply to investigate what freight-related

problems and issues currently exist. Once you havedone this, developing a thorough understanding of the

nature of freight should help to justify the relative

importance of freight within other policy priorities.

3.3 Allocating Resources AcrossDifferent Modes of FreightTransport

Figure 3.1 shows that road transport makes up by far

the highest proportion (64%) of goods lifted; on the

face of it you could spend the largest proportion of time

and effort on road freight. This view can be supported

by the fact that as a highways authority you do have

practical control over most of the transport

infrastructure on which road freight operates. However,

the circumstances, problems and opportunities in your

authority area might mean a different emphasis if rail

3 Balancing Priorities

Action Points

In order to balance funding priorities a number of

actions can be taken:

A robust and impartial case must be put

forward

Developing a thorough understanding of the

nature of freight should help to justify the

relative importance of freight within other policy

priorities

As a freight decision-maker you will need to

prioritise the modal activity of freight which

primarily requires attention, i.e. rail, water, road

or air

Emphasis should be on what is achievable

Freight funding priorities should not be static,

but should evolve and develop over time

Considering Priorities for Freight Actions

Road freight covers bulk raw materials, trunk haul,

secondary distribution, urban and local deliveries

and the host of deliveries that take place as part of

the delivery of a service. Whatever the perceived

or actual problems, issues or opportunities in

freight management, a balance must be drawn

between the amount of resources required

compared to the likely outcome. The emphasis

should be on what is achievable. These

judgements must be made:

Which mode of transport

Where in the authority area

How to minimise impact

When to promote greater efficiency

All of these have to be further tempered by the

timescale for delivery. It is first useful to consider

the national patterns of freight movement to obtain

a general view prior to recognising local priorities.

Even though road transport accounts for 60% of goods lifted,

achieving road to rail transfer may still be a high priority



freight or moving freight by water can be positively

influenced by you.

Owing to the diverse nature and complexity of each

local authority area, resources cannot simply be spread

across each mode in the proportions suggested by

national trends for a series of reasons. The situation ina single authority area may differ greatly from the

national trend. The problems and opportunities for each

mode may not reflect the proportion of freight moved

by each mode and the ability of an authority to deliver

desired actions is extremely varied. The promotion of

freight movement by rail and water is a priority in terms

of delivering sustainable distribution, but there is a

need to balance resources across modes when

planning improvements.

In recognition of this, the July 2004 White Paper ‘The

Future of Transport: A Network for 2030’ signalled an

intention to move towards a mode-neutral basis for

distributing funding in support of sustainable

distribution. In the last few years there has been an

increasing emphasis on the promotion of more efficient

road haulage, reflecting the significant dominance of

this mode and the resulting potential for efficiencies.

3.4 Continuous Development of

Priorities

As with any good planning process freight funding

priorities should not be static, they should evolve and

develop over time. Initially, resources may be directed

towards investigating the nature of freight in your

authority area. However, this process then becomes

iterative as the findings of your investigation inform an

action plan and the feedback from the actions

continues to shape priorities.

3.5 Competing with Other LTPPriorities

This issue can understandably be the most testing; if you cannot achieve funding support then actions

cannot be delivered. In most cases, goodwill and good

relationships with freight industry operators or trade

associations can only be converted if you can

successfully compete for and receive a share of LTP

funding. Chapter 16 deals with funding mechanisms,

however, there are a series of more general points to

consider whichever funding process you are pursuing.

If you are attempting to generate a case for funding

priority, your case will be best supported if it:

Is evidence based

Is supported by more than one department

across the authority

Clearly shows how benefits to efficiency and/or

reduced impact can be achieved

If it meets these simple criteria it stands a better

chance of competing against traditionally better-funded

policy areas.

3.6 Summary

Despite the complexities and difficulties, each authority

must make difficult resource decisions. A common

sense and practical view should be taken, justified by

the evidence you gathered, with whatever resources

are available.

64%8%

24%

4%

Road

Rail

Water

Pipeline

Figure 3.1 Percentage of Goods Lifted by Mode in 2004

(Million Tonnes)



decisions, whilst minimising the negative impacts of

freight movements on safety.

Of direct relevance to this guide is the emphasis on

addressing local and regional regulation. The White

Paper encourages local authorities to think about how

the regulatory powers that relate to freight transport

can be co-ordinated to make life easier for businesses,whilst protecting the interests of local people. This

includes traffic and parking regulations, night-time

bans, planning powers and the use of planning

conditions.

Sustainable Distribution: A Strategy

This document was published in 1999 as a daughter

document to the 1998 White Paper ‘A New Deal for

Transport’ - it still provides the overarching Government

guidance on sustainable distribution. The strategy setsthe following objectives in relation to distribution:

Reduce the number of accidents, injuries and

cases of ill-health associated with freight

movement

Minimise congestion

Make better use of transport infrastructure

Minimise pollution and reduce greenhouse gas

emissions

Improve the efficiency of distribution

Manage development pressures on the

landscape - both natural and man-made

Reduce noise and disturbance from freight

movements

Planning Policy Guidance 13 (PPG 13)

PPG 13 provides local authorities with planning policy

guidance on transport - it was most recently updated in2002.

The objectives of the guidance are to integrate

planning and transport at national, regional, strategic

and local levels to:

Promote more sustainable transport choices both

for people and for moving freight

Promote accessibility to jobs, shopping, leisure

facilities and services by public transport, walking

and cycling

Reduce the need to travel, especially by car

In preparing their development plans and determining

planning applications, local authorities are encouraged

to identify and protect sites that could be used to

develop infrastructure to facilitate the movement of

freight. This could involve major freight interchanges,

including facilities allowing road to rail transfer. The

guidance also includes advice relating to the location of

freight, generating developments away from congestedareas of the highway network, and the promotion of

such developments to be served by rail.

In relation to road freight movements, the guidance

acknowledges the issue of delivery hour restrictions

which apply to residential areas and town centres.

These restrictions are often put in place because of

concerns over disturbance to residents, but they can

have adverse impacts in terms of exacerbating

congestion at peak times, increasing local pollution and

discouraging investment in central urban areas. It isstressed that policies need to strike a balance between

the interests of local residents and those of the wider

community. This should have particular regard to the

vitality of the local economy, employment opportunities

and quality of life in towns and cities.

The wider implications of local authorities’ decision-

making processes should also be accounted for. This

relates to issues such as parking, loading, planning,

weight limits, and environmental health. Both smaller

and larger decisions significantly impact on the

sustainability of freight movement. This shows that

freight should form an important element of the

decision-making process, especially as freight shares

the transport network with many other users, e.g. public

transport.

PPG 13 encourages local authorities, freight operators,

businesses and developers to work together within the

context of freight quality partnerships (FQP) in order to

agree on issues such as:

Lorry routes

Loading and unloading facilities

Reducing vehicle delivery noise levels

Enabling a more efficient and sustainable

approach to deliveries in sensitive locations

For further details see the Freight Best

Practice guide on Freight QualityPartnerships.



The Future of Air Transport (December 2003)

This White Paper provides a strategic framework for

the development of airport capacity in the UK over the

next 30 years, against the wider context of the air

transport sector. As over 2.1 million tonnes of freight

are lifted every year, the future policy decisions in

growing aviation industry are vitally important.

Simply expanding airport infrastructure to provide

greater capacity to meet demand is not a sustainable

way forward. The key facets of this balanced approach

are that it:

Recognises the importance of air travel to our

national and regional economic prosperity, and

that not providing additional capacity where it is

needed would significantly damage the economy

and national prosperity

Reflects people’s desire to travel further and

more often by air, and to take advantage of the

affordability of air travel and the opportunities this

brings

Seeks to reduce and minimise the impacts of

airports on those who live nearby, and on the

natural environment

Ensures that, over time, aviation pays the

external costs its activities impose on society at

large - in other words, that the price of air travel

reflects its environmental and social impacts

Minimises the need for airport development in

new locations by making best use of existing

capacity where possible

Respects the rights and interests of those

affected by airport development

Provides greater certainty for all concerned in

the planning of future airport capacity, but at the

same time is sufficiently flexible to recognise and

adapt to the uncertainties inherent in long-term

planning

Ports Policy Review Discussion Document(May 2006)

This Department for Transport review clarifies that ports

act as gateways to the worldwide network of

distribution. With an open economy and trade

accounting for approximately 30% of our GDP, the

efficient, reliable and resilient activity of ports is crucial

to the very function of society. The rapid growth in

global trade has signalled the need to review current

ports policy. The document to be superseded is

‘Modern Ports: a UK Policy, November 2000’. This

White Paper provided a generally market-focused, non-

interventionist approach, with the Government being

perceived as a regulator rather than a dictator.

Ports ultimately have wide impacts on society, theeconomy and our environment, at national, regional

and local levels. Therefore, in the review there is a

focus on notions of ‘market failure’; this term means

that markets cannot solve all of our problems on their

own. This idea provides the scope for intervention on

the individual merits of a particular case.

The key issues of the ports policy review document link

into this by examining:

Future demand for ports capacity

Ensuring market response meets sustainable

development objectives

How far Government should reflect regional

development objectives in encouraging the future

provision of ports capacity

How Government can help smaller ports, which

in many cases are owned by trusts or local

authorities

4.3 Regional Freight Policy

Regional transport strategies (RTS) are an important

element of the emerging regional spatial strategies

(RSS), which provide a strategy over a 15 to 20 year

period, and a framework for the preparation of both

local authority structure and development plans and

LTPs.

The RTS guidance indicates that the strategy should

reflect identified problems. With respect to freight, itshould also consider the key issues and capacity

constraints for freight services in the context of the

wider strategy for ports, airports and inter-modal freight

interchanges.

Regional Planning Bodies, which prepare the RTS, are

advised to consult with the British Waterways Board

and the Environment Agency on the preparation of a

strategy for developing the use of rivers and canals for

freight transport. It is suggested that this might consider

the scope for policies for safeguarding wharves, piersand moorings.



At a regional level, adequate and suitably located

facilities for inter-modal freight interchanges (i.e.

facilities for transfer between road vehicles and rail,

sea, inland waterways and air freight) are vital to

fulfilling relevant policy objectives.

Regional freight strategies (RFSs) have been and

continue to be developed at a regional level throughregional planning bodies to provide a framework for a

more sustainable and efficient distribution industry.

RFSs are to be broadly based in order to inform the

LTP.

4.4 Local Freight Policy

The planning framework at a local level is to be set by

local development frameworks (LDFs). These will

replace Local Plans, with Structure Plans being

replaced by regional spatial strategies (RSS). The

LDFs consist of local development documents (LDDs);

the heart of these will be formed by development plan

documents (DPDs) and statements of community

involvement (SCI). These provide strategic policies and

proposals for development and transport. The plans

establish the amount of development (housing

provision, business and industrial land provision) and

the broad distribution of development (e.g. settlement

hierarchy and strategic locations for development).

LTPs are clearly key to setting transport policies at a

local level and delivering an effective programme of

investment. The Full Guidance on LTP (December

2004) stresses that in developing their programmes,

local transport authorities are expected to show that

they have considered the services and facilities they

provide to all users of local transport networks. It is

emphasised that LTPs not only provide for those who

are traditionally given prominence in transport planning,

but other users amongst which are freight and

distribution vehicles.

LTPs must therefore provide solutions and

opportunities not only for drivers, walkers, cyclists, and

bus and tram users, but also taxi and private hire

vehicles, freight and distribution vehicles, coaches,

motorcyclists, wheelchair users and equestrians.

Similarly, authorities should demonstrate that they have

considered the local transport implications of the

development of seaports, in particular the implications

for the safe, expeditious and environmentally

sustainable movement of freight vehicles on localtransport networks.

Moving Freight - How to Balance Economyand Environment

This publication was produced by the Institution of

Highways and Transportation with assistance from a

steering group of interested parties from the public and

private sectors. The document provides a wealth of

background advice on freight.



5.1 Introduction

Although national trends in freight movement are quite

well documented, this is rarely so at a local level, which

can lead to a poor appreciation of freight-related

problems and issues. Making decisions with

inadequate information can mean that policies and

planned actions may not meet their intended

objectives. In the worst case they could prove to be

counterproductive. In this chapter we set out why the

availability of high quality information is of fundamental

importance in understanding freight movement and

how companies moving freight operate.

5.2 The Importance of UnderstandingLocalised Freight

A sound understanding of the nature of freight at a

local level, based on bringing together existing and

newly collected information, can greatly assist the

decision-making process. This can lead to informed

decisions that can be backed up with evidence, rather

than being merely intuitive or simply listening to a vocalminority, either from within the freight industry or from

the wider community.

Two stages in understanding the nature of freight can

be identified. The first stage seeks to make best use of

existing information and data sources. This will provide

an appropriate and sufficient knowledge base for many

freight-related decisions, but significant added value

can be derived in Stage 2 by collecting a range of new

information to enhance the level of understanding. As

well as influencing freight management decisions, both

stages contribute to developing the wider picture of the

impact of all planning applications.

5.3 Stage 1: Making Best Use of Existing Information

A starting point in providing an understanding of the

nature of freight at a local level is making the best use

of existing information and data sources. This will

primarily be a desk-based exercise - it could potentiallydraw on sources such as:

Classified traffic counts

Journey time data

Accident statistics and associated reports

Data on goods moved through key locations

(e.g. rail freight terminals, ports and airports)

Complaints or feedback from residents and

businesses

Feedback from Freight Quality Partnership (or

equivalent)

Freight industry and other publications

Classified Traffic Counts

Classified traffic counts and automatic traffic count

(ATC) data enable key routes for freight to be identified,

and continuous data can indicate trends over time and

identify where growth is occurring on the network. Such

data can also be used to establish instances of HGVs

using either preferred or inappropriate routes.

Action Points

New opportunities and leverage can be gained from

the accurate analysis and high quality assimilation of

freight movements. There are two key tasks:

Review existing data sources to gain an

understanding of the nature of freight

Collect new information to build an enhancedunderstanding to inform the solution process

5 Analysing Freight Movements

A good understanding of localised freight movement is

paramount when making decisions about managing freight



Journey Time Data

Journey time data can be analysed with respect to key

destinations for freight traffic. This can be used to

quantify and validate perceived congestion ‘hot spots’

and assist in the targeting of improvements.

Accident Statistics

The STATS 19 database can be used to identify

accident black spots where there is a high incidence of

accidents involving freight vehicles. Such trends can be

drawn out by accident investigation reports, which are

often produced with respect to particular locations.

Goods Moved Through Key Locations

Chapter 3 (Balancing Priorities) presented a national

picture of the volume of goods moved by mode acrossthe UK. This analysis acknowledged that patterns and

the relative importance of each mode vary significantly

between areas. The availability and analysis of ports or

rail data may be greater than those for road transport;

however, partnerships with private sector operators of

major distribution centres may reveal the required

information.

Feedback and Complaints

Most authorities will have a catalogue of complaintsand feedback on issues relating to the movement of

freight. A standard approach would be to address these

on an ad-hoc basis, but in looking to understand the

nature of freight, there is value in drawing this

information together in a co-ordinated way. This

enables recurring issues to be easily identified and

problems to be addressed in an integrated manner. It

may be the case that a co-ordinated approach across a

number of local authority departments will be

necessary to truly gauge the volume and nature of

communication received.

Direction from Partnerships

A Freight Quality Partnership (or similar group) can

assist in the identification of issues in a more objective

way that represents the views of industry, local

authorities and other representative bodies. It is

important for the priorities of such a partnership to feed

through into the overall body of evidence in terms of

understanding.

Industry Publications

Whilst these publications are most likely to be national

in terms of coverage, it is possible to relate the

emerging themes to a local context in such a way that

furthers understanding at a local level.

5.4 Stage 2: New Information toEnhance Understanding

The Stage 1 process has demonstrated that a

reasonable level of understanding can be achieved

through the assimilation of existing data sources.

However, a more targeted programme of information

collection is required to capture a fuller appreciation of

the underlying make-up and issues surrounding freight

movement.

Whilst there is no prescribed methodology for collecting

the required information, it will most likely involve

consultation with the freight industry and interested

parties in order to capture an up-to-date picture of local

issues and also improve the interface with the local

authority. This could potentially lead to freight

forecasting at a local level. In general, the information

sources that may be used include:

Freight operating companies (across all modes)

Major freight generators or receivers (includingmajor retail centres, manufacturing, raw

materials production, agriculture, ports and

interchanges)

Freight representative bodies such as the freight

transport association (FTA), road haulage

association (RHA), the Rail Freight Group, and

Sea and Water

Community and environmental representatives

such as the transport activist round tables and

the Council for the Protection of Rural England

An example of how this might be achieved is provided

by the following case study on Tyne and Wear.



Case Study 1: Tyne and Wear - Nature of Freight

Introduction

Consultants were commissioned to undertake a

study into the nature of freight as a prerequisite to

the development of a freight strategy in Tyne andWear for LTP 2 (2006-2011). The study aimed to

provide a detailed snapshot of the freight movements

in the area.

Approach

To ascertain the required level of information, the

following tasks were undertaken:

Specialised goods vehicle counts

HGV driver interviews

Operator consultation

Together, the three surveys provided a sound base of

knowledge which would be presented in such a way

to form a platform for the development of a freight

strategy for Tyne and Wear.

Specialised Goods Vehicle Counts

These counts were undertaken in order to provide

high quality information on the composition of freight

traffic. The counts observed goods traffic at 26

locations across Tyne and Wear and recordedinformation relating to vehicle age, direction of travel,

vehicle type, body type and industry type. The

knowledge of the average age of heavy goods

vehicles allows an assessment of the impact of

vehicles on the environment, in terms of both noise

and emissions. Vehicle size information can be used

to assess the impact of visual intrusion and wear and

tear on the road surface. The awareness of vehicle

body type and industry type can also help in

establishing the stakeholder groups that have a

vested interest in using particular roads.

HGV Driver Interviews

Driver interviews were undertaken at ten sites

throughout Tyne and Wear (two sites in each local

authority area). A variety of site types were surveyed,

covering truck stops, town centre delivery points,

industrial estates, Newcastle Airport and seaports.

The interviews were conducted using a questionnairedesigned to focus discussions, yet leaving the

interview open to maximise the information gained.

The interviews collected standard information,

including journey purpose, journey frequency and trip

origin/destination/next stop, but also included:

Vehicle and company details

Lorry park usage patterns

Route information

Truck facilities

Opinions on parking facilities

Navigational tools (e.g. map, GPS)

Percentage of empty running

Operator Consultation

During each of the specialised vehicle counts,

company names and contact details were logged,

where possible, to allow operators to be consulted by

means of a telephone interview. The interviews were

open-ended in order to maximise the individualresponse, but also sought to ascertain key

information relating to the fleet and nature of the

operation, engine standards and vehicle replacement

policy, routing and scheduling methods, and

problems and constraints in the area.

Outcomes

See Case Study 10 which shows how output from

this work has informed an action plan, which is being

progressed as part of the Tyne and Wear Freight

Partnership.



5.5 Outline Solutions

Conducting a thorough review of the nature of freight,

as described throughout this chapter, will reveal a

wealth of information that will enable you to start to

develop a long list of possible solutions or actions. It

may be that you could include these outline ideas in

the consultation process described in Section 5.4

Stage 2.

What is most important is that your initial thoughts and

ideas should not be constrained at this stage, at least

for internal purposes. It might be useful to sub-divide

actions by:

Mode of transport

Scale of cost

Geography

Timescale for delivery

Likely benefits

At this stage, the sorting of actions is a useful tool in

advance of a thorough assessment.

5.6 Summary

The process of researching and understanding the

nature of freight should aim to produce sufficient

reliable information for a set of draft actions to be

produced. Further scrutiny should seek to establish

what effect each proposed action will have in relation to

the objectives of sustainable freight distribution and the

wider policy objectives of the authority. Chapter 6 offersguidance on how this assessment can be achieved in a

balanced and evidence-based manner.

Once you know how, when and where freight moves, you

can begin to develop solutions to the problems identified



Judging the Impacts of Freight Management

6 Strategy Development and Evaluation

17



6.1 Introduction

It is important to test the extent to which any planned

action really addresses the stated objectives. In order to encourage a more informed approach, this chapter

sets out a way forward that aims to quantify the

advantages and disadvantages of a potential action.

The assessment of freight-related problems and issues

cannot always be carried out in advance of an action

without some element of subjectivity; however, a

transparent and structured appraisal should support thedecision-making process. The process described could

be used for a relatively complex and costly action;

however, where the actions are modest it may be

sensible to circumnavigate this formal process.

The evaluation framework consists of three elements:

Initial assessment

Full assessment

Monitoring assessment

6.2 Stage 1: Initial Assessment

The identification of options should be wide ranging

and draw from the knowledge of stakeholders, as well

as the expertise of local authority officers. In particular,

they will result from the primary research phase of the

understanding of the freight processes outlined in the

previous chapter. Given the resource constraints and

need for targeted assessments, options should then

undergo a coarse strategic assessment with a view to

short-listing options for a fuller assessment. It is

recommended that an assessment of strategic fit

should be carried out against the aims and objectives

set out in the following:

2004 White Paper (The Future of Transport: A

Network for 2030)

Sustainable Distribution: A Strategy

Regional Transport Strategies

Local Transport Plans

A broad framework can be applied to a range of

freight-related problems and in the assessment of

Action Points

A realistic and practical assessment should take place

that where possible draws on evidence and factual

observations. Planned actions must be evaluated todetermine if they have met the key objectives. This

will enable a sustainable future. The evaluation

framework could comprise of the following:

An initial assessment - Wide-ranging issues

leading to a coarse strategic assessment

A full assessment - Short-listed options built

around economy, environment and society

A monitoring assessment - The preferred option

must be comprehensively monitored, enabling a

‘before’ and ‘after’ comparison

6 Strategy Development and Evaluation

ConsultExplore

Alternatives

Coarse

Assessment

of Options

Monitor

Problem Identification

Understand

Identification

of Options

Shortlist Options

Full Assessment

Selection of

Preferred Option

Review

Act

Figure 6.1 Assessment Framework



potential interventions, including the case for HGV

restrictions. The framework (outlined in Figure 6.1)

shows the importance of understanding the issues and

background to the problem identified prior to the

identification of potential options. This has close

linkages with the principles outlined in the previous

chapter in terms of understanding the nature of freight

at a local level.

More details on the above are provided in Chapter 4 -

Freight Policy Context. It should be noted that some

schemes, particularly those of smaller scale, may not

have a direct fit with some of the broader objectives set

out by national and regional policies.

6.3 Stage 2: Full Assessment

Following the identification of a short list of options, the

next stage is to build upon the coarse assessment

(against aims and objectives) with a more detailed

assessment. The 2004 Government White Paper ‘The

Future of Transport: A Network for 2030’ outlines the

Government’s role of providing a policy which

complements the decisions taken by the logistics

industry, whilst minimising the negative impacts of

freight movement on safety, the environment and

congestion. Importantly, it stresses that policies should

not be guided to particular forms of transport, but by

the approach that delivers the best outcomes for theeconomy, environment and society.

This assessment process is therefore built around the

three themes of economy, society and environment,

with deliverability an additional test. Deliverability is

added as an action and must inevitably be linked to

available finance. Whilst a scheme requiring

considerable infrastructure changes may be of most

benefit, the timescale for implementation may make it

unattractive and a more modest scheme may offer

better value for money (a key theme in the guidance onLocal Transport Plans (DfT, 2004)). Equally, the

acceptability of a particular action to stakeholders is

important in terms of overall scheme delivery, and

should be incorporated within the assessment.

Table 6.1 shows the indicators that could be used to

assess each of the identified themes. The DfT’s

Transport Analysis Guidance contains detailed (but not

exhaustive) advice on how some of the indicators (e.g.

Severance, Landscape and Townscape) can be

assessed within a multi-modal context. The DfT’sTransport Analysis Guidance can be accessed via the

web link: www.webtag.org.uk. It is recognised that

some investigations may not warrant such a thorough

assessment, but the impacts should be quantified

where possible, as ratings may reflect the priority of a

given area. As a minimum, each indicator should be

assessed on the following seven-point scale:

Large adverse

Moderate adverse

Slight adverse

Neutral

Slight beneficial

Moderate beneficial

Large beneficial

In parallel with the assessment should be a process of

consultation and identification of lower-cost

alternatives. The consultation should be appropriate to

the size of the problem and the potential schemes

being investigated. For many investigations

consultation will be a key aspect throughout the

assessment framework process, but it is cited

specifically within this section as it is key for views to

be incorporated in the assessment process.

It is important where possible to make the assessment

as realistic as possible and, although the suggested

assessment table is useful, where facts and figures can

be used to support any of the assessment criteria they

should be. For example, anticipated changes in HGV

miles (positive or negative) can be valued under

‘sensitive lorry miles’ (SLMs) used in the Freight

Theme Indicator

Economy

Goods Vehicle Miles

Access to Markets

Jobs

Environment

Local Air Quality

Greenhouse Gases

Landscape

Townscape

Society

Severance

Accidents

Delivery Access

Noise/Disruption

DeliverabilityCost

Acceptability

Table 6.1 Assessment Themes and Indicators



Facilities Grant process. This can be converted into

actual HGV running costs and emissions produced. In

the case of emissions, the value may offer a positive

actual value for local air quality (along the route from

which HGVs would be restricted), with the additional

miles run on a detour counting as negative in the

greenhouse gas assessment.

It is also important to ensure that impacts outside the

authority’s area are identified separately. For example,

this may be in terms of improving a section of road or a

specific junction that forms part of a wider regional

preferred lorry routing network. Alternatively, restricting

HGV movements may result in increased goods vehicle

flows in a neighbouring area.

Inevitably, the resultant qualitative and quantitative

assessment process will assist and not predetermine

decision-making. However, it could be used in supportof a related funding bid, for instance, through the LTP

process.

6.4 Stage 3: Monitoring Assessment

Following the identification of a preferred option, the

implementation process can begin. It is important that a

strategy for monitoring is conceived at an early stage in

order to be able to compare ‘before’ and ‘after’ results.

Thorough and robust monitoring is of fundamental

importance in ascertaining the success or otherwise of

measures and interventions, and also important for

informing key decisions about future freight policy and

actions.

‘The full Guidance on Local Transport Plans’ (DfT,

December 2004) states that the Government expects

authorities to monitor and set targets for most of the

current Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPIs) in

addition to a number of mandatory LTP indicators.

These include a number of indicators that are of relevance to, but not specific to freight. Relevant

indicators include the condition of roads, accident

statistics, changes in road traffic mileage, changes in

traffic flows to urban centres, congestion and air

quality.

Whilst these mandatory indicators are valuable for

monitoring the environment within which freight moves,

they do not enable the specific impacts of a particular

intervention to be ascertained. There is therefore the

opportunity to undertake additional monitoring, whichcould relate to the following areas:

Actions implemented to improve the efficiency of

freight (e.g. ’no car’ lanes or freight routing

agreements)

Actions implemented to mitigate the

environmental impact of the movement of freight

Amount of freight handled at key facilities (such

as ports and distribution centres), where actions

of the freight strategy were intended to promote

increased volumes

Other positive outcomes arising from freightpartnerships, following the bringing together of

key players and agreeing actions

One specific example - ‘no car’ lanes - could be

monitored by analysing traffic flow data before and after

the scheme implementation. Figures on the number

and composition of vehicles using the ‘no car’ lane and

the general traffic lane(s) could be used to quantify the

response to such a scheme. Parallel analysis of the

journey times for both HGVs and other vehicles should

also be undertaken. In instances where a bus lane is

converted to a ‘no car’ lane, the impacts on buses

should also be measured.

As pictured in Figure 6.1, monitoring results should

then feed through to a review stage, which should take

place once the impacts of a scheme have settled down.

This provides an opportunity for the monitored data to

be distilled and for decisions to be informed regarding

future action. The implications could be location

specific, or there may be wider, more strategic

implications across the authority.

6.5 Summary

Whatever the method, a realistic and practical

assessment should take place that draws, where

possible, on evidence and factual observations. The

guide provides guidance on the process for

understanding the nature of freight, assessing the

impacts of proposed actions and reviewing and

reporting on the results. Chapters 7 and onwards deal

in more detail with some of the practical issues that

could apply in an area, together with examples of how

others have dealt with such issues.



Road Freight Management

7 Lorry Routing

8 Traffic Management

9 Effective Management of

Deliveries

10 Managing Freight in Rural Areas

11 Driver Rest Facilities and Lorry

Parking

12 Public Sector Fleet Operations

21



7.1 Introduction

Agreeing and communicating a lorry routing strategy

with the road freight industry is important. Establishing

general routing principles is especially relevant for

cross-boundary road freight movements. Regional

authorities, particularly regional assemblies, have a

strong co-ordinating role to play. It involves close

consideration of the suitability of routes across a region

and provides long-term strategic guidance for signage

and agreed HGV routing within the freight industry.

7.2 The Need for a Lorry RoutingStrategy

A routing strategy is necessary to provide an essential

balance between the legitimate needs of the freight

industry and the rights of residents suffering

unacceptable noise and disturbance from goods

vehicles. The proposed routes should be routes that

goods vehicle drivers would choose to use, apart from

when they need to depart from this preferred route toallow access or egress from their origin or destination.

A positive HGV routing strategy should be considered

alongside the circumstances where a more restrictive

approach to the movement of goods vehicles is

required, but the case for such restrictions should be

reviewed on a regular basis rather than retained merely

for historical reasons. A routing strategy shouldtherefore be developed alongside key route decisions

(e.g. the imposition or relaxation of lorry bans).

However, many routes have necessary restrictions for

weight or height due to the nature of various routes,

and such restrictions need to be effectively

communicated.

7.3 A Practical Approach toDevelopment of a Routing

Strategy

In each authority area the motorway and trunk road

network managed by the Highways Agency forms the

highest level of the preferred lorry routing network.

Much of the HGV miles run in England are indeed

confined to this network, however, there is a need for

HGVs to operate away from this network for part of the

journey and the next level down within the road

hierarchy is the Primary Route Network (PRN). So

when creating an HGV routing strategy a sensible way

to begin is to document the motorway, trunk road and

PRN.

A second process must then begin, firstly identifying

sections of the PRN that are not suitable, for instance,

those with height or weight restrictions. There are also

likely to be roads that are not part of the PRN but do

offer access to important freight generating sites.

Particular care should be taken when alternative routes

are available to a single site to choose the most

suitable route, ideally for both goods vehicle operators

and residents and communities along the routes.

More precise routing may be relevant depending on the

purpose and format of the routing strategy.

Action Points

In reviewing routing, the following actions should be

carried out:

Assess the need to establish or review the road

freight network

Set up a working group to establish or review

the road freight network

Consider designing a map as a means of

communicating the freight network

Undertake a review of signage relevant to

HGVs with respect to key destinations

Consider the opportunities and benefits of

setting up information boards and electronic

way finders

7 Lorry Routing



7.4 Communicating a Routing

Strategy

Communicating a routing strategy may be achieved by

using a number of methods:

Industry Publications

An effective vehicular signing system is one of the most

important tools in effectively communicating with

people who are both familiar and unfamiliar with an

area. It can also shape the first impressions of an area

and help to generate a positive impression. Signagethat is appropriate to freight is clearly important in

facilitating the efficient movement of goods traffic in an

area. Signage is also important in encouraging HGV

drivers to use the most appropriate or preferred route,

as identified by the freight routing strategy.

One of the most important supplementary tools to go

with the route mapping measures mentioned is that of

specific freight signage, which continuously sign by

name the preferred freight routes to industrial estates

or delivery areas. In the UK, these road signs areusually distinguished by the use of a black background

with white text. Whilst these can act as a powerful tool

in encouraging freight traffic to use the most

appropriate routes, more freight-specific signage has

the potential to increase overload. This can result in

road safety issues and reduce the effectiveness of the

essential information that road signs can provide. The

introduction of new freight-specific signage therefore

needs to be sufficiently well justified. Equally, there

may be scope for rationalising the amount of

information - for example, ports are often signed with a

symbol rather than using text.

Freight Maps

In the UK, many local authorities have already

produced a series of freight-specific driver maps. The

freight maps can show the best routes for freight traffic

to access key destinations, and roads where lorries

may be restricted by height or weight. The maps also

help to direct lorries away from residential or built-upareas.

In developing a map there are a number of key issues

to be considered:

Objectives (need to clarify purpose of the map)

Scale of the map and level of detail/information

shown

Mechanism for political approval

Circulation strategy

In terms of objectives, it is important to clearly identify

the function of the map at an early planning stage. The

majority of freight maps produced to date are clearly

targeted at assisting drivers in terms of route finding,

but others may focus more on providing a tool to assist

the planning of freight across the network.

The function of the map will also impact on the required

scale and level of detail to be shown. Some freight

maps focus very much on individual town or citycentres, whereas others may cover an entire

metropolitan area. A town or city centre map will be

able to show the local road network in a significant

amount of detail, as well as depicting more destinations

within a given area. At a minimum it is suggested that

all maps should show the following (if applicable):

Designated freight routes

Town centres

Retail parks

Industrial estates

Ports

Rail freight terminals

Height and weight restrictions

Motorway services

Lorry parks

Restricted motorway junctions

Incorporating road freight signage can help reduce wasted

mileage when drivers have lost their way



A further measure that can be set up and

communicated through maps is the creation of colour

co-ordinated delivery quadrants for town and city

centres. These can assist by encouraging drivers to

use the most appropriate radial route, or a ring road.

These schemes can help to reduce the amount of

conflict with other road users in central locations. An

ideal accompanying strategy would include the colour zones or quadrants on signage, directing traffic the

shortest way around the ring road until the primary

radial road for the destination zone was reached.

Since the designation of routes for a given purpose can

be a politically sensitive issue, local authorities should

also consider from the outset what approval process

the map is to be subject to. An appropriate way forward

may be to establish a sub-group of members

representing the relevant Local Authorities or wards.

Effective circulation of freight maps is key to ensuring

that their potential is maximised. If the map is targeted

at drivers, local authorities should liaise with the FTA

and RHA at an early stage to agree how the map can

best be circulated to operators. There may also be

opportunities for providing copies of maps at lorry parks

and motorway service stations, as well as other

important freight destinations.

Information Boards

Information boards and points can provide an important

role in facilitating effective way-finding for goods

vehicles. In particular, they are useful in clearly

depicting the layout and key locations in an area and

are often sited on approaches to towns and industrial

estates.

Electronic Way-finders at Lorry Parks

Within lorry parks, there is an opportunity to give

information to drivers in the form of a computerised

way-finder, whereby a driver could key in delivery or

street address information, and receive a print-out of

the best route. These way-finders are increasingly

common aids to tourists on train stations, but could beadapted for freight destinations.

Actions within the overall development of a regional

routing strategy should consider the role of roads being

or recently de-trunked and cross-boundary road

maintenance, ensuring consistent road standards for

goods vehicles on preferred routes.

High quality information boards can play an

important role in raising awareness of facilities



Case Study 2: Greater Manchester Drivers’ Freight Map

Background and Purpose

The Greater Manchester Joint Transport Team has

produced a drivers’ freight map as part of the

sustainable distribution element of the LocalTransport Plan. In 2002 a FQP was established

between local authorities, operators, the FTA, RHA

and Highways Agency (HA). The FQP drew up a

Greater Manchester Freight Strategy. Within this, it

identified the production of a map as a short-term

action with the objective of improving driver

awareness of the most appropriate road network for

freight traffic in accessing key destinations.

Establishing the Network

In establishing a draft Greater Manchester Freight

Road Network, a set of criteria relating to goods

vehicle traffic flows was applied. Routes were

included if traffic data showed there to be more than

1,000 OGVs (Other Goods Vehicles) over a 24-hour

period, or where OGVs comprised 5% or more of the

total traffic flow.

In order to maximise consensus, relevant officers at

each authority were given the opportunity to provide

comments on the draft network, which allowed some

routes to be removed, whilst a number of otherswere added.

Map Representation

The map highlights:

Motorways and the agreed PRN as the freight

network, but also identifies other primary

routes that are not part of that freight network

Some non-primary routes, B roads and other

roads are represented as well. The other

routes are shown for locational purposes tohelp give a clearer geographical representation

The locations of key freight destinations in

relation to the network

Height and weight restrictions

Motorway service areas and lorry parks

An effective balance needed to be sought between

showing a useful number of destinations and notgenerating a cluttered map.

The reverse of the map includes a location finder key

and information on access restrictions in town

centres, in addition to some ‘added value’ information

on aspects such as fuel saving tips, driver fatigue,

improving air quality and abnormal load routing

procedures.

Circulation

The map was launched in April 2005 and 30,000copies were printed. It was circulated through the

FTA and RHA and also to some key sites, including

motorway service areas in the North West, for

example, Lymm Truck Stop, and motorway services

in the South East closest to the Channel Tunnel and

ports. A number of operators requested additional

copies for their drivers. This has been an important

tool in demonstrating and communicating the value

of the map. It is intended that a revised edition will

be produced and circulated in two years’ time, using

a circulation list drawn up from operators requestingadditional copies.



8.1 Introduction

This section provides advice on where and how it might

be appropriate for local authorities to intervene by

implementing a range of freight-related traffic

management measures. This includes assessment of

the case for measures such as lorry bans and

providing specific HGV (vehicles over 3.5 tonnes)

related signage. There is advice on how HGV-related

accidents can be investigated and the most appropriate

remedial measures. The potential opportunities arising

from the de-trunking of the highway network are also

discussed. The section also looks at the case for theimplementation of goods vehicle priority lanes including

‘no car’ lanes, which allow goods vehicles the same

level of priority as is offered to buses.

8.2 Lorry Bans

Freight movement by road is dependent on the efficient

operation of the motorway, trunk road and primary

route network (PRN). Even-handed management of

this network is of great importance to the road freightindustry, especially issues such as lorry routing,

condition of bridges and congestion delays. A number

of goods vehicle restrictions have been implemented

on sections of the PRN, often when a relatively low

standard route passes through a built-up area. In the

majority of cases, lorry bans can be well justified, but it

is important to regularly review the bans that are inplace. The benefits in terms of reduced disturbance to

the local community need to be set against the impact

of increased journey times for freight operators,

additional lorry miles and associated impact on

emissions. An overarching mechanism for undertaking

an assessment is set out in Chapter 6.

8.3 Road Signage

The impact of HGVs lost or at least unsure of their route can be significant. They may cause disruption to

traffic flow, damage to road furniture or kerbs when

vehicles attempt U turns and can have self-evident

risks to road safety. This highlights the importance of

freight-specific signage where necessary. Signage may

have been changed in a piecemeal fashion as the road

network has been modified and freight-specific signage

may also have become dated and inaccurate.

Reviewing of signage for goods vehicles can therefore

form a useful component of any freight strategy. ‘Added

value’ from reviewing signage can also be achieved bycontributing the road details to satellite navigation

companies. A more comprehensive understanding of

the network enables freight operations to run more

efficiently and reliably.

Road signs can designate routes into major freight

destinations (e.g. shopping centres and industrial

estates), out from the town to the major inter-urban

road network and, if through traffic is inevitable,

through routes. The provision of up-to-date and

consistent directional signage can make a significant

Action Points

Carry out reviews of goods vehicle restrictions

Review signage that is applicable to goods

vehicles

Explore linkages with driver training

programmes

Review the role and function of routes if routes

are to be de-trunked

Examine the case for implementing ‘no car’

lanes

8 Traffic Management

Road signage can enable drivers to manage themselves and

their time effectively, within legal constaints



contribution to the safe and efficient operation of the

road network. Better signage and delivery information

may reduce delivery times and therefore costs, and so

may cut pollution and disturbance by reducing

unnecessary mileage.

8.4 Intelligent Transport Systems

Active traffic management can be implemented by local

authorities through the use of intelligent transport

systems (ITS). This can directly relate to the

management of freight operations, but also relates to

the active management of the network as a whole. A

number of benefits for freight can be achieved through

ITS (see DfT Traffic Advisory Leaflet ITS 1/05), these

include:

HGV Routing Management - offering proactive

information on routing to HGVs can help tominimise environmental impacts

Town Centre Access Control - controlling access

by time of day and/or type of vehicle can reduce

pedestrian/vehicle conflicts, enhancing the

environment of an area

HGV Priority - where HGVs justify priority

treatment, ITS can facilitate smoother and more

efficient journeys

Urban City Logistics - using information to sharevehicle resources can offer substantial benefits

to vehicle operators and to the towns and cities

in which they deliver

Computerised Vehicle Routing and Scheduling -

efficient planning by vehicle operators can save

10% to 15% of transport costs

In Cab Communications - the ability to monitor

vehicle location and driver performance in real

time allows timely and efficient decision-making,

and aids vehicle and load security

Informing Freight Quality Partnerships -

information from ITS brings knowledge, and

knowledge gives the confidence to act. The

sharing of data between local authorities,

organisations and agencies is intrinsic for

building up a comprehensive ‘mesh’ of

information.

It is important for local authorities to assess the

business case for investment in ITS and identify howbest to use ITS to meet their own, local challenges.

Advances in information technology are now such that

ITS offer real possibilities for authorities to meet these

challenges by monitoring what is going on, predicting

what might happen in the future and providing the

means to manage transport proactively and on an

area-wide basis.

Local authorities can receive more information from theITS Assist Unit www.its-assist.org.uk

This is a Department for Transport initiative to promote

the use of ITS in local government.

8.5 Improving Road Safety

Authorities can carry out an HGV-specific road accident

review in order to identify accident black spots for

goods vehicles. It may be that separating HGV

accidents from other traffic accidents will highlight

specific locations that can lead to remedial action that

would not be easy to identify as part of overall accident

statistics.

Local authorities face a raft of issues surrounding HGV

road safety; a good example is bridge strikes. These

are hard to quantify as they can go unreported,

although the local authorities should try to identify them

wherever possible. Network Rail owns many of the

affected bridges and it should be able to provide not

only details of the number and severity of strikes but

also the number of minutes of train delay arising from

such incidents. It should be noted that vehicles from

mainland Europe, which are mainly left-hand drive, can

face difficulties due to blind spots; a number of

incidents relating to this have been recorded in Kent.



8.6 De-trunking

When sections of road are de-trunked, they would

normally be retained as part of the PRN for which

Government allocates funds to the highway authority

for maintenance of the road, but funds are not ring-

fenced and can place a burden on authorities.

It is of national interest that the role of the PRN is

protected. However, some measures such as weight

restrictions have been applied to sections of the PRN.

Policies on lorry routing and weight restrictions should

take account of their potential economic contribution as

well as environmental impact. Local authorities are

encouraged to adopt a route management strategy to

review the role and function of routes, leading to better

efficiency.

8.7 ‘No Car’ Lanes

Bus priority measures are now a familiar sight across

most towns and cities and play a major role in

objectives relating to enhancing the efficiency of public

transport. ‘No car’ lanes give priority for the movement

of goods as well as people in congested urban areas

and are much less familiar nationally. They have the

potential to increase road capacity by improving lane

utilisation, and also by segregating wider vehicles from

standard vehicle lanes. Such lanes can also beeffective in encouraging lorries to use a higher

standard route and thereby discourage use of routes

that are inappropriate for heavy goods vehicles.

However, there are some concerns relating to ‘no car’

lanes, such as their impact on bus journey times,

increased instance of lane contravention, difficulty of

enforcement, maintenance and amount of signage

clutter, and road safety implications.

Whilst there has been a significant amount of research,

monitoring and evaluation of bus lanes, ‘no car’ lanes

is an area that has been very much under-researched

nationally. The issues outlined above need to be better

understood in order to guide the decision-making

process.

Case Study 3: ‘No Car’ Lanes in Tyneand Wear

Over recent years, ‘no car’ lanes have been

implemented on a number of streets in Newcastle

City centre and more recently on the A690 in

Sunderland. The introduction followed monitoring of

traffic levels and behaviour so as to allow accuratemonitoring of the effects of the new regulation.

Given the lack of information on their operation and

performance, the Tyne and Wear LTP team

considers that an improved understanding of ‘no car’

lanes is key to informing policy development across

the conurbation. It is particularly important for

decision-makers to have knowledge of the relative

benefits and disbenefits in reviewing the network.

Assessment work is currently underway,

incorporating the following tasks:

1. Ascertain the impact of ‘no car’ lanes on journey

times for the following vehicle types:

Goods vehicles

Buses

Cars/Taxis

2. Assess the impact of ‘no car’ lanes on road safety

(particularly in relation to cyclists)

3. Comparative assessment of the levels of lane

contravention (relative to bus lanes)

4. Review utilisation of ‘no car’ lanes, relative to bus

lanes

5. Ascertain any changes in traffic composition (i.e.

do the lanes attract more traffic to a given route?)

6. Assess driver perceptions of the operation and

performance of ‘no car’ lanes

7. Undertake a stakeholder consultation

8. Evaluation of enforcement (including consultation

with traffic police)

No car lanes in Newcastle City Centre can assist efficient

freight deliveries



9.1 Introduction

Recognising the competing requirements of providingefficient delivery vehicle access whilst maintaining and

improving the environment of town centres, this section

provides advice with reference to key decision areas

such as access restrictions and delivery curfews, as

well as parking and loading control. The opportunities

of improved enforcement through decriminalised

parking are explained, and ways of encouraging the

use of smaller and fewer delivery vehicles in town

centres through the promotion of Transhipment and

Consolidation Centres are also profiled.

9.2 Urban Access Restrictions andCurfews

In some locations, access restrictions by vehicle

weight, or by time, have been implemented in order to

protect the urban environment and keep large vehicles

away from sensitive areas and people. This results in

difficulties serving some key generators and attractors

of freight in urban areas.

Restrictive policies may be historical rather than

actively considered appropriate today and there may

be occasions where delivery access restrictions could

be relaxed. A number of retailers have claimed that

less restrictive policies for delivery access could

generate substantial economic benefits for companies

delivering to urban areas. The challenge is to find the

right balance between allowing freight access to

commercial centres whilst ensuring a safe and pleasant

environment for local residents.

In some cases, timed delivery restrictions can have a

major impact on efficient deliveries when overnight

deliveries would be welcomed by a retail store or

supermarket, but are prevented by environmental and

planning restrictions. The Delivery Curfews Initiative

has been set up to understand the processes by which

restrictions are applied and to investigate the scope for

relaxation of restrictions. The Department for Transport

has published a guide (‘Delivering the Goods:

Guidance on Delivery Instructions and in conjunction

the FTA has produced Delivering the Goods: A Toolkit

for Improving Deliveries.’ These can be found on the

websites www.dft.gov.uk and www.fta.co.uk

respectively) which has the aim of assisting the retail

and logistics industries, local authorities and central

government to arrive at mutually acceptable

arrangements to address and relax restrictions to local

retail sites.

In many situations the only way in which delivery

arrangements in urban areas can be adequately

addressed is at the design phase, ideally through

purpose-built service areas. However, small-scale

measures to establish dedicated loading bays can

make a useful contribution to easing the conflict

between delivery vehicles, other road users and

pedestrians.

9.3 Parking and Loading Control

Where only front delivery access is possible to

commercial premises, authorities should consider what

loading/unloading arrangements or restrictions are in

Action Points

In looking to enable effective management of

deliveries, the following actions can be carried out:

Investigate opportunities for the relaxation of

delivery curfews

Review the provision of loading facilities

Assess the potential benefits that could be

delivered through an Urban ConsolidationCentre

9 Effective Management of Deliveries

Implementing solutions for loading/unloading in East

Grinstead will reduce congestion



place. There is often intense competition for kerbside

space from either passing traffic, including buses,

shoppers, businesses or local residents requiring

parking, and goods vehicle deliveries.

There can be no ‘one size fits all’ solution for such high

street dilemmas, but authorities may conduct reviews

to find a best-fit solution to minimise the time goods

vehicles spend delivering to such locations. This may

include the provision of dedicated loading bays in

appropriate locations.

9.4 Decriminalised ParkingEnforcement (DPE)

Illegal parking by cars or commercial vehicles staying

beyond the time required to conduct a delivery

presents a real problem of obstructing or preventing

access to premises for deliveries or collections.

Decriminalised parking enforcement (DPE) is a

Government initiative that allows local authorities to

enforce parking restrictions. The 1991 Road Traffic Act

permits highway authorities to apply to the Secretary of

State to become a special parking area (SPA). The

power to enforce parking, loading and waiting

restrictions passes from the police to the local council.

The enforcement can only be carried out where there

are existing parking controls, shown by formal signs,

marked bays and/or yellow lines. Authorities can

therefore review existing parking arrangements, where

appropriate, and consider whether decriminalisation

enforcement would be a beneficial tool. It is

acknowledged that where parking enforcement is not asignificant issue, retention of the existing system may

represent the best way forward.

9.5 Urban Consolidation Centres(UCC)

An urban consolidation centre (UCC) is a place of

transhipment from long-distance traffic to short-distance

(urban) traffic where consignments can be sorted and

bundled. The key purpose of a UCC is the avoidance

of the need for vehicles to deliver part loads into urbanareas. The ability to consolidate the delivery of goods

in fewer and smaller vehicles increases efficiency of

distribution to areas of the city. Consequently,

environmental impacts such as congestion, noise and

pollution are decreased.

A review of urban freight consolidation centres (mainly

in Europe) by the University of Westminster (July 2005)

found that UCCs are most likely to be successful in the

following situations:

Specific and clearly defined geographical areas

suffering from delivery-related problems

Town centres that are undergoing a ‘retailing

renaissance’

Historic town centres and districts that are

suffering from delivery traffic congestion

New and large retail or commercial

developments (both in and out of town)

Major construction sites

Requirements for Success

The study also considered that UCCs have the greatest

prospect of success when the following apply:

Availability of funding

Strong public sector involvement in encouraging

(or forcing) their use through the regulatory

framework

Significant existing congestion/pollution problems

within the area to be served

Bottom-up pressure from local interests (e.g.

retailers’ associations)

Resolving logistics problems associated with a

site that has a single manager/landlord

The study considered that the traditional concept of a

transhipment centre, with loads transferred into smaller

vehicles, has generally not succeeded and that recentdevelopments, with the focus being on improving

vehicle utilisation and integrating the operation into the

supply chain, offer more potential.

Careful design and management of unloading facilities can

minimise disruption, improve safety and customer service



There is also a need for schemes to be set up on the

basis of hard facts, rather than just intuition. As a basis

this could include a detailed understanding and

analysis of the traffic flows into and away from the

designated area.

For UCCs to be attractive it is important that they are

led and operated by several key commercial playersthat have identified the potential benefits of being

involved. The availability of funding is undoubtedly a

key issue as there is no strong evidence that any truly

self-financing schemes yet exist that involve voluntary

participation by retailers. The Bristol scheme was

initially EU-funded, but there is a limit to the number of

schemes that would expect to be financed through this

source.

Local authorities have a practical role to play in

promoting such operations. For example, the local

authority may own or operate shopping centres or

employ city centre managers, who could fulfil a co-

ordinating role. It is important that the process leadingto the establishment of a UCC trial will also have the

involvement of other organisations. These would

include local government representatives, potential

UCC operators, trade associations, local logistics

companies, police authorities and occupiers of

premises.

Case Study 4: Bristol Freight

Consolidation Scheme

In Bristol the number of deliveries to retailers in the

Broadmead shopping centre are being reduced

through a consolidation centre. The scheme’s

primary objective is to reduce the number of delivery

vehicles operating in the city centre and, in turn,

improve air quality. The scheme also aims to improve

the delivery service to retailers, reduce conflict

between vehicles in loading areas and those in

delivery bays, and provide value-added services to

retailers such as packaging collection and remote

stock storage.

The scheme, the first city centre-based scheme in

the UK, started in May 2004 and has now been

successfully operating for two years. Fifty-one retail

outlets currently receive consolidated deliveries,

resulting in a reduction of delivery movements of

some 68% amongst those participating, equating to

73,500 vehicle kilometres saved. This has led to

significant environmental benefits, with improved air

quality through reduced NOx and PM10 emissions.

A retailer satisfaction survey carried out showed that

94% would recommend the service to other retailers,

and many retailers have also identified time savings

for deliveries and being able to spend more time with

customers. There has also been no loss or damage

of stock to date.

The scheme has now been extended until November

2006 and is being re-tendered for a further two years

of operation. A key element of the extension is

income generation through negotiating contributions

from retailers for the consolidation service and value

added services, which it is anticipated will move the

scheme to a sustainable financial model.

Case Study 5: Managing Deliveries in

East Grinstead (West Sussex CountyCouncil)

West Sussex County Council developed an effective

traffic calming scheme in conjunction with measures

to facilitate deliveries in the town of East Grinstead.

The A22 is a busy primary route that passes through

the centre of the town. After a long-standing proposal

for a relief road had not been progressed, a decision

was taken to implement a scheme to help prevent

‘rat running’ in the absence of the relief road.

In developing a restricted access 20 mph scheme,

one option considered was to implement delivery

restrictions (before 10am and after 4pm). The

preferred scheme involved construction of new

loading bays to address delivery problems, and

restrictions were not implemented as it was

considered that they could worsen congestion

problems.

This approach was identified in close consultation

with a partnership which included local businesses,

delivery companies and the public. A steering group

was also set up to oversee the effective running of

the scheme. A haulage company is represented onthe steering group.



10.1 Introduction

Rural areas contain approximately 10% of households

in Britain and the rate of traffic growth is generally

higher than in urban areas. As with the economy in

general, the rural economy is increasingly dependent

on regional, national and global business links. Goods

vehicles travelling into rural areas often face difficulties,

as deliveries are made to a set of dispersed

destinations along roads that are sometimesunsuitable. Rural areas are particularly vulnerable to

the impact of road-based freight transport, with many

parts of the rural road network neither of a standard nor

width to accommodate large vehicles.

It is important to note that light van traffic is on the

increase. Between 1993 and 2004 light van traffic grew

by 46%, outstripping the growth of other vehicle types

by a significant margin. There are now over 2.5 million

vans registered in the UK, comprising 8% of all

registered vehicles, and this shows how dramatic theincrease has been. The rise of the Internet can account

for part of the increase, and means there is a greater

impact on the rural environment than on the urban, due

to the demand for improved deliverability. This does

mean better product availability for rural areas,

enhancing choice and ultimately standards of life.

However, there are also the associated impacts of

increased van traffic. These could be noise, ground-borne vibrations, polluting emissions, visual intrusions,

and road safety issues.

This section advises on the most effective approach to

the management of freight in rural areas, including

developing a functional road hierarchy that directs

traffic onto the most appropriate routes. It also explores

the benefits of the local authority working with industry

and the local community, and addresses the issue of

road safety and traffic in villages and towns.

10.2 The Issues

In rural areas, freight traffic is often required to move

around a network of lanes between scattered market

towns and villages. However, vehicular activity relating

to agriculture, industry, retail, quarrying, forestry and

the military brings substantial employment and

economic benefits that are vital to the sustainability of

rural communities.

In drawing the balance between helping and managing

goods vehicle movements, authorities can consider a

range of perceived negative impacts on rural areas by

large goods vehicles, including:

Erosion of hedgerows, verges, stone walls and

damage to tree canopies caused by large

vehicles on narrow lanes

Damage to historic buildings and other structures

through vibration caused by regular heavy goods

vehicle movements

Reduction in the tranquillity through vehicle noise

and night-time deliveries

Action Points

In looking to effectively manage freight in rural areas

the following actions can be considered:

Build up an understanding of freight movements

across the rural area

Implementation of 30 mph speed limits through

villages

Development of functional road hierarchy for

freight, with associated signage improvements

Consider the potential role of a partnership in

addressing rural issues

10 Managing Freight in Rural Areas

Freight in rural areas can be significantly affected by severe

weather conditions



Dust and pollution in narrow village streets

The size and speed of vehicles can give an

increased perception of danger to pedestrians,

cyclists and horse riders

HGV traffic increasing the incidence of

platooning (groups of vehicles travelling together

with no speed separation)

Regular movement of HGVs through village

centres can lead to community severance and

loss of amenity value of the surrounding area

HGVs using inappropriate narrow rural roads as

‘rat runs’ to avoid congestion on primary roads

Increased maintenance costs for rural roads

regularly used by HGVs

10.3 Interventions

A constructive way forward in developing a freight

strategy in rural areas involves building a close

understanding of existing freight movements, their

origins, destination and volumes. This understanding

should be complemented by a strong partnership

between the local authority, rural businesses and

communities.

In rural areas, minor roads are the predominant means

of access to individual destinations. It is on these roads

that particular conflicts arise between goods vehicles,

other traffic, cyclists, pedestrians and the local

community. It is important that, where possible, new

roads are designed to standards that safely

accommodate the vehicles that will use them. In some

cases, specialised industries (e.g. forestry, quarrying)

require access by the largest goods vehicles, and this

should be taken into consideration.

Speeds

Speed can be a major factor in the severance of local

rural communities. Reasonable steps should therefore

be taken to ensure the safe operation of goods

vehicles to safeguard quality of life. Rural roads are

predominantly single carriageways on which larger

goods vehicles (above 7.5 tonnes) are restricted to 40

mph. The Government’s new guidance on setting local

speed limits encourages traffic authorities to adopt a

two-tier hierarchical approach which differentiates

between single carriageway roads with a strategic or local access function. Within this it is recommended

that higher speed limits should be restricted to ‘upper

tier’ or high quality, strategic single carriageway roads,

whilst lower speed limits would be appropriate on

‘lower tier’ single carriageway roads passing through a

local community, or having a local access or

recreational function.

Road Hierarchy for Freight

Within the above framework and their trafficmanagement duties, local authorities should seek to

develop a functional road hierarchy, which signs and

directs HGVs onto the most suitable routes. Goods

vehicle operators prefer to travel on roads of the

highest standard available, however, with trips that end

in rural areas, this can often be difficult. Well thought

out signage can discourage the use of unsuitable minor

roads and can benefit goods vehicles as well as the

roads and communities.

Analysis of Freight Movement

A common problem for many local authorities is the

absence of reliable data on freight movements. LTPs

could consider providing a map showing patterns of

freight movement across the authority and include a

commitment to building a database of freight flows.

Community Consultation

Finding out the views of local people in rural

communities on the impact that HGVs are having onthe local road network, and the transport and delivery

requirements of local rural businesses is vital in

ensuring that appropriate solutions are devised in

managing rural freight transport.

Communication and Partnership

The nature of some rural areas and the businesses

within them can mean that relatively few companies

can cause a substantial proportion of goods vehicle

traffic in a locality. This can offer the opportunity of

individual agreements between authorities and

businesses that could offer substantial benefits to both.

Guidance on how to run an effective partnership is

provided in Chapter 15.



11.1 Introduction

Over recent years, HGV driver rest facilities and lorry

parking have become increasingly prominent issues

facing local authorities. This section sets out the need

and case for local authorities to review the provision of

lorry parking facilities and the contribution of such

facilities with respect to aspects such as safety, the

economy and to communities. There is guidance on

how to assess the requirements, the criteria to be

applied to the selection of potential sites and how local

authorities can determine the type of facilities required.

11.2 The Need for Lorry Parking

Areas for goods vehicles to stop and park when away

from base play a vital role for freight operators to

enable their drivers to refresh themselves and maintaintheir vehicles. Driver rest facilities and lorry parking

provide an important support service to road freight,

particularly for freight companies based outside the

region. Lorry drivers are required to take both daily

driving breaks and overnight rest by the European

Union Driver Hours Directive 3820/85. In addition to the

health, safety and welfare of drivers, inadequate lorry

parking provision can have an adverse impact upon

other road users, and poor security can put cargo at

risk.

Over recent years, lorry park sites have been under

pressure from urban development. In these cases it is

important to focus on providing effective replacement

facilities - alternative sites can often become isolated

from food and other facilities needed by visiting drivers.

11.3 Wider Benefits

Well designed and strategically located lorry parks can

play a significant role in reducing the mileage run by

visiting lorries, promoting driver well-being, helping with

efficient deliveries and minimising disruption to

communities. It is preferable for lorries to be parked at

a managed site that offers safe entry and egress and

encourages goods vehicles to park in a formal and well

designed location, rather than parked in roadside

lay-bys or on or adjacent to minor roads. Such facilities

also provide drivers with food and proper rest facilities

which help compliance with drivers’ hours regulations,

and also contribute towards road safety.

11.4 Assessing the Requirements

In order to identify what facilities are required, a

two-fold approach can be adopted. Firstly, a survey of drivers parked at a range of locations (both authorised

and unauthorised) should be undertaken in order to

review the demand and supply of lorry parking. This

Action Points

The following actions should be taken in order to

assist in the delivery of effective driver rest facilities

and lorry parking:

Review the demand for lorry parking facilities

with respect to supply

Consult with interested parties (including the

FTA and RHA)

Assess lorry parking facility requirements

(through driver interviews)

If additional parking is required, begin a site

selection process against criteria and seek

private sector interest

Work in partnership to address the social and

environmental problems at basic sites

Assist in the promotion of the facilities on offer

at the higher quality lorry parks

11 Driver Rest Facilities and Lorry Parking

Lorry parking provision is key to the effective management of

HGVs at night, minimising unauthorised and illegal parking



can also incorporate driver interviews in order to

provide a sound understanding from the user's

perspective. The interviews could usefully examine the

following:

Origins and destinations of freight traffic in the

area

How often they visit the area

Why they chose to park at their current location

If they are aware of other parking sites in the

area and, if so, why they may not use them

(particularly useful for unauthorised parking)

Secondly, a wider consultation with the FTA and RHA

and the FQP will also provide a strategic input.

It is important to understand the decision-making

process of a driver in deciding where to stop. For themost part, daily driving breaks will be guided by

proximity to route, and access to good quality and good

value food. Short-stay parking in either lay-bys or more

formal facilities is normally free of charge. For overnight

rest the process is more complex - parking at formal

facilities can be prompted by:

Vehicle insurance requirement for secure

overnight parking

Company instruction with regard to secure or

formal parking locations

Reimbursement of receipted expenses

Wish to socialise, access to good food and

toilet/shower facilities

However, many drivers are not willing or able to pay for

high quality facilities and therefore seek more basic

and lower cost options. In order to meet the likely

various needs and prevent inappropriate parking it is

often necessary to develop several different types of

facility. The different types of facility can be labelled

under three categories:

Basic

Free or very low price, parking on lay-by,

industrial estate or rough ground, with no

security

May or may not have toilet block and/or caravan

selling hot food

There would be no other facilities provided;

drivers would have most of what they need in the

cab

Intermediate

Site with toilet block and shower facilities

A café selling ‘good value for money’ meals

There would be some facilities for entertainment,

possibly a shop and TV lounge

The parking area would normally be lit and

reasonably surfaced but may not have many

security measures

Premium

Good facilities particularly geared to companies

wanting vehicles parked at approved, secure

places

Lighting, CCTV, security patrols, site barrier and

perimeter fencing are all important

The meals and driver facilities would be of

reasonable quality

11.5 Site Selection Criteria

Common difficulties faced by local authorities are the

need to identify agreed sites and the lack of available

funding. Many authorities have also sold or allowed a

change of use of authority-owned land previously used

for lorry parking. Where an authority is intending to take

such action, consideration should be given to how the

parking capacity lost can be replaced.

It is recommended that the following should be taken

into consideration:

Availability of location

Proximity to area of demand

Proximity to the strategic road network, and

substantial volumes of traffic

Good access and egress between the site and

the adjacent road network, and to the strategic

road network

Sufficient available area for parking and

development of facilities

Available space for expansion (should demand

increase)

Provision of or proximity to appropriate basic

facilities



Sufficient immediate separation from other land

uses (such as residential)

Consistency with land use policy (e.g. Unitary

Development Plans)

11.6 Attracting Private Sector

Investment

Once the need for facilities has been established and a

suitable site(s) identified, the local planning authority

needs to encourage private sector investment in this

area. Therefore, if the Local Development Frameworks

or the Local Plans show areas of land that have been

identified as suitable for lorry parking and driver rest

areas, this would give private sector investors

confidence that their planning applications are more

likely to succeed.

11.7 Operation

Basic parking provisions require little in terms of

operational requirements and only a basic level of

maintenance is needed. It is important to monitor the

level of use of basic sites on an on-going basis.

Environmental and even social problems can occur on

lay-bys, industrial estates and vacant land used

intensively for overnight parking. It is necessary to work

in partnership with traffic enforcers and the police to

address these problems. Simple steps, such as

ensuring that basic sites are well lit and have bins, may

increase day-to-day maintenance costs, but can help tocontrol problems that often occur at these types of

areas.

The intermediate and premium facility lorry parks would

typically be run by private sector partners, but local

authorities can help with the promotion and marketing

of such facilities. Promotion of sites by investing in

clear and comprehensive signage can be useful. Some

sites can struggle to generate business simply because

drivers do not know where they are. This is particularly

the case for foreign drivers and UK drivers on longdistance work.

Case Study 6: Priory Park Truckstop(Hull City Council)

Hull City Council operates a purpose-built lorry park

at Priory Park on the western outskirts of Hull. This is

a fine example of how resources can be shared

between two different uses, as the lorry park was

constructed as part of a Park & Ride facility. The

Park & Ride bus control building doubles up as the

lorry park security office and also includes wash and

shower facilities for the drivers. The facility has a

very high level of security, with CCTV, floodlights,

security fencing, 24-hour on-site security guard and

an entry gate. The gate is locked at night, but drivers

are able to enter/exit using an electronic key card.

The site also has the advantage of being located

close to other facilities, including a supermarket.

The British Parking Association (BPA) developed a

‘Secure by Design’ award status for car and lorry

parks that met various guidelines in terms of fencing,

CCTV, electronic gates, help points etc. The concept

is a joint venture between the police crime reduction

unit and the BPA. The facility at Priory Park was the

first lorry park approved to this status in the Yorkshire

and Humber region. The concept has also wonapproval from insurance companies, given the much

lower risk of theft or damage resulting from overnight

parking in a secure area.



Case Study 7: Yorkshire and Humber Driver Rest Facility and Lorry ParkingAudit

Concerns were expressed regarding the quantity and

quality of lorry parking in the Yorkshire and Humber

region. A first step to addressing the problem is

having accurate and up-to-date information on the

existing situation. This audit explored the extent to

which the capacity and usage of current facilities met

the needs of the road freight industry within the

region. It also provided comprehensive information

regarding the extent of services available at each

facility.

Some of the headline findings of the audit were as

follows:

The region has facilities capable of

accommodating up to 8,000 goods vehicles

during the day and 1,600 overnight

Around a third of daytime spaces are used, but

almost three quarters of night-time spaces are

taken

Motorway service areas are the most capacity

constrained, followed by independent truck

stops, with local authority facilities being least

well used

Some private facilities offering a good value for

money service are regularly over-subscribed

The audit put forward a number of recommendations

including:

Production of a Regional Lorry Parking Guide

Better signage of lorry parks from the

motorway and trunk road network. This has

proved to significantly increase usage

Potential for coach parking at motorway

services to be released at night for trucks, as

utilisation by coaches was very low

Introduction of foreign language informationand signage



12.1 Introduction

As well as facilitating the movement of freight, local

authorities also have a significant role to play as an

operator in the delivery of public services. This includes

refuse collection vehicles for cleansing services and

grounds maintenance. This section of the guide

provides practical advice on how local authorities can

lead by example in promoting efficient operations.

In 2005, the guide ‘Efficient Public Sector Fleet

Operations’ was launched as part of the Freight Best

Practice programme. The guide is aimed at helping

fleet operations and strategic managers in the public

sector to improve the efficiency and reduce the

environmental impact of their operations.

12.2 Understanding Public Sector FleetOperations

In order to optimise service delivery and minimisecosts, public sector fleets play a supporting role and

great scope exists to carry out fleet operations

effectively. In doing this, the environmental impact of

fleet operations can be minimised and, at the same

time, the wider social obligations and policy objectives

of the public sector can be met.

The range of commercial vehicle fleets operated by the

public sector is extremely broad. However, the main

characteristics of many public sector fleets include:

Vehicles in the public sector are often driven by

staff not specifically employed as drivers

Vehicles in the public sector are often employed

on specialised operations with limited

interoperability across activities

Vehicles tend to be run for relatively low average

annual mileages and are frequently confined to

specific geographical areas

Owing to the specialised nature of equipment,vehicles tend to be kept in service for long

periods

The essential operational stages, operational

tools and a checklist for good practice are

discussed in more detail in the guide

Efficient Public Sector Fleet Operations.

This is available from the website

www.freightbestpractice.org.uk or obtain a

copy by calling the Hotline 0845 877 0 877.

Action Points

Local authorities have an opportunity to lead by

example and set best practice within an area. This

can be done by the following:

Identify and understand specific fleet efficiency

issues

Carry out measures targeted at reducing fuel

consumption, through measures such as

developing a fuel management programme and

implementing driver training

Implement initiatives targeted at maximising

vehicle use, utilising tools such as telematics,

and computerised vehicle routing and

scheduling, and measuring performance

through KPIs

12 Public Sector Fleet Operations

Local authorities operate many goods vehicles in the courseof delivering services



12.3 Reviewing the Operation

Reviewing fleet operations can lead to better

operational design and more cost-effective

management of an organisation’s fleet. Better vehicle

specification will lead to improved service provision and

lower operating costs. It has already been noted that

some of the defining characteristics of fleets in thepublic sector are that they are often complex, support

the provision of a variety of different essential services

and often involve many different types of specialised

vehicle. It is therefore essential to:

Break down your operations into their basic

components

Understand the features that make your fleet

different to others

Identify and understand your own specific fleet

efficiency issues

Develop actions to support and improve the

efficiency of your operations

It then covers the following practical ways of improving

efficiency.

Table 2 The ‘Efficient Public Sector Fleet Operations’ Guide

Provides More In-depth Information Regarding:

Risk management

Insurance

Managing operations ‘in-house’ or outsourcing

Managing outsourced operations

Legal considerations

Vehicle financing

Vehicle specification

Vehicle procurement and choice of suppliers

Vehicle disposal

Table 3 Operational Tool 1: Reducing Fuel Consumption

Developing a fuel management plan

Appointing a fuel champion

Fuel selection

Fuel purchase and storage

Stock control and issue

Driver training

Vehicle maintenance

Aerodynamics

Monitoring fuel use, targeting and review

Table 4 Operational Tool 2: Maximising Vehicle Use

Use of information

Communications

Use of appropriate communications technology can

improve the effectiveness of your operations

Telematics

Computerised vehicle routing and scheduling

Improving the operation

Keeping your operation fit and healthy

Measuring performance

Monitoring and reviewing

Reviewing fleet operations can lead to better operational

design



Case Study 8 Hull’s Environmental FleetOperation

Hull City Council describes its green fleet agenda by

being committed in the pursuit of realisable

excellence within the field of environmental transport

logistics and reduction of vehicle life-cycle emissions.

The council’s own in-house vehicle fleet was

awarded first prize in the environmental category of

the 2002 Motor Transport Awards. Hull Council was

the only authority to make the awards short list,

alongside national companies. Hull’s fleet of 810

vehicles are mostly owned or leased. Ninety-three

per cent of the fleet runs on bio-diesel supplied

locally by RIX, 6% are electric vehicles and 1%

petrol.

Research and ImprovementHull City Council carries out extensive research into

the cost and best value analysis associated with the

operation of a green vehicle fleet strategy that takes

into account environmental (for example, fuel

delivery infrastructure), operational (weights/volumes)

and financial (for example, insurance, residuals,

maintenance) considerations.

Alternative Fuels

The authority uses vehicles fuelled by bio-diesel,

LPG, CNG, LNG, Common Rail Green Diesel and

electricity. The use of bio-diesel is not only slightly

better for the environment but it conserves oil stocks

as 5% is from renewable sources, i.e. vegetable

matter. The authority has Britain’s largest electric

fleet of 50 cars and vans. In the past three years, the

fleet has won manufacturing awards from Eminox,

the Green Fleet Manager of the Year award, Fleet

News Environmental Manager of the Year award and

the European Environmental Transport Award from

Dinex.

Fleet Specification

The council’s latest acquisition is a Mobile Librarythat has solar panels fitted into its roof in order to

generate power to run the on-board computers and

systems whilst the vehicle is stationary awaiting

custom. The vehicle has batteries that can be

charged at night if there is insufficient power for the

next day.

Retrofit

The company retrofitted special Eminox exhaust

treatment systems a number of years ago to help

improve air quality. Another development is the use

of electric exhaust emission control which ionises the

particulates, preventing them from being emitted to

the atmosphere. Vehicle tracking and telemetry

technologies have been fitted on core vehicles,

which are providing better understanding of

movements and operational utilisation. Vehicles are

also subject to a full recycling process at the end of

their operational lives.

The Future

IIt is anticipated that the number of green vehicles in

the fleet will continue to be expanded, thereby

eliminating virtually all of the emissions that internal

combustion counterparts would have produced. The

council will invest extensively towards fulfilling its

obligation in the protection of its economic, social

and environmental future.



Other Modes

13 Non-road Modes

14 Improving Access to Seaports

and Airports

41



13.1 Introduction

Modal shift from road to rail freight serves the public

interest where it reduces road congestion and provides

environmental improvements without compromising

continued economic growth and prosperity. Rail freight

can also play a significant role in supporting key local

industries by providing them with cost-effective access

to main markets. Although the delivery of rail freight is

dependent on a number of organisations, almost all of

them in the private sector, local authorities can play akey role in facilitating its delivery. This section explains

what local authorities can do to promote rail freight.

This includes areas such as safeguarding land for

interchanges and ensuring that the planning system

does not unduly inhibit the use of rail for freight.

13.2 The Contribution of Rail Freight

Rail freight has traditionally involved the transport of

bulk materials such as coal, aggregates or steel to andfrom purpose-built facilities. Over recent years

significant growth in container traffic has been

achieved. Mostly this has been to and from our major

deep-sea ports, but it also includes the trunk haul of

long haul domestic freight.

Over the past decade the investment in rail freight has

been considerable. The product offered by the rail

freight operators has become more efficient and

competitive, with improving productivity and

performance. Rail freight companies offer a package of

efficient, cost-effective services which have become

more customer-focused in order to compete with other

rail freight operators and other modes of transport.

However, it is important that it is understood that rail

freight cannot address all markets. There are markets

where it has natural competitive advantages, but there

are other markets where rail has no role to play. If in

doubt when considering a project, it is recommended

that the advice of one or more appropriate rail freight

operating company is sought to determine if there is a

potential role for rail freight.

Chapter 2 showed that rail freight has grown by 66%

between 1995/6 and 2005/6. Rail freight’s share of the

growing land-based transport market is around 11.7%

(National Rail Trends Yearbook 2005/06). In 2005/6,

rail freight moved the equivalent of 1.22 billionkilometres of lorry traffic (National Rail Trends

Yearbook 2005/06).

13.3 Rail Freight Facilities

Growth and changes in demand from traditional rail

markets will require additional and replacement

facilities at quarries, steel stockholding points, open-

cast sites, major manufacturing sites and at key

centres of distribution. To increase the use of rail

freight, an increase in the proportion of warehousing

that is rail connected is also required, along with some

growth in inter-modal handling capacity to serve major

centres.

Action Points

This section seeks to demonstrate how local

authorities can assist in the delivery of rail freight

schemes. The key actions can be identified asfollows:

Understand the role that rail freight plays in the

movement of goods within an area and how it

can support the supply chain of local industries

Liaise with rail operators and industry to

determine the opportunities for rail freight

schemes

Ensure that rail operators and industry are

made aware of the mitigation measures that

may be required to bring forward a rail freight

scheme, and ensure that measures are

appropriate for the size and use of the scheme

13 Non-road Modes

Moving to rail freight can reduce lorry miles and still deliver a

high level of customer service



Local authorities are in a position to facilitate the

development of terminals by safeguarding suitable sites

in the planning process and developing the road

networks that service them. In order for freight to

transfer from road to rail, there is a need for

appropriate interchange facilities of the right size, in theright logistical location and with appropriate access to

both the rail and trunk road network. Such facilities will

normally be brought forward, and funded, by private

sector interests, and will be subject to the usual

requirements of the planning process.

Larger, regional and strategic rail freight interchanges

will require good road access (close to motorways), but

may also need to be sited away from land uses which

are sensitive to noise and movement (e.g. residential

areas). Activities of this size should be in harmony withregional policies and included as specific elements of

regional transport strategies and regional planning

guidance. In order to keep road access journey lengths

short, and for the national rail freight network to be

effective, a ‘critical mass’ of rail freight interchanges is

needed. This means that decisions on one interchange

will have implications for the viability of other

interchanges in the region, hence decisions for larger

strategic sites need to be considered on at least a

regional basis.

However, it is important to note that not all rail

terminals are large, high-impact facilities. There are

often requirements for smaller single function or even

temporary terminals. Some terminals will only be

required to serve local and sub-regional markets. A rail

connection into a factory or other centre of production

can lead to a direct replacement of distribution by road

with distribution by rail, or may result in increased

production without imposing a greater burden on the

local, regional or national road system.

Rail can provide economic accessibility to markets for

many industries. Interchanges are only one part of the

picture; many industries make effective use of rail to

support production and distribution processes.Extractive industries such as quarries and mines,

factories, distribution centres, and waste disposal

authorities all can find rail an essential element when

deciding where to invest and locate.

It is therefore important to consider the impact of rail-

based developments on a case-by-case basis.

Mitigations of negative local impacts, where these

occur, need to be considered carefully. They should be

appropriate for the size and use of the facility.

Consideration also needs to be given to the wider positive impacts as well as the negative ones. In

addition to transport impacts, issues such as

employment opportunity and employment diversity may

be considered.

13.4 Local Authority Role

A key role in the planning process is protection of sites

suitable for the use of rail. It may also be appropriate to

insist that rail connection and use are stipulated in a

planning consent. Assessment of impact mitigations is

important. Many modern facilities can have effective

dust, noise and light suppression measures put in

place. It is important to discuss with developers and rail

freight operators as to what are appropriate and

realistically deliverable measures.

Case Study 9: Sharpness Dock

(Gloucestershire County Council)

Gloucestershire County Council and the Victoria

Group (Sharpness Docks operator), working through

the Gloucestershire Freight Quality Partnership and

with Victa Railfreight, have shown that using rail

freight can be a low-cost option, thereby making it

easier to switch freight traffic from road to rail.

The rail freight option is not as daunting as it may at

first appear. Quite simply, it is suggested that

authorities should start small, be practical, look for easily achievable solutions, assess potential volume

and commodities, and possibly work with a

developer. There are solutions using lorry-mounted

cranes to tranship containers/goods on a small scale

rather than needing to invest in expensive handlingequipment. Swap bodies match with a 13.6 metre

road trailer.

An example is at Sharpness where it is planned that

a portion of the disused dock sidings will be

refurbished and brought back into use at the modest

cost of £60,000. Funding of 75% has come from the

Local Authority Highways budget and 25% has come

from the port.

Several traffic options are also being developed and

as soon as contracts have been signed, funding willbe released. The sidings could be operational in as

little as two months after that.



For more information on Road to Rail see the

Freight Best Practice publication case study

Road to Rail: Open Access Intermodal

Gateway to the UK - TDG European

Chemicals.

13.5 Inland Waterways Introduction

The movement of goods by water is still a significant

provider for freight in terms of domestic movements in

the UK. All types of waterway have some potential for

use in freight transport, but the level varies significantly.

Generally, the large waterways with access to portsand the coast will have the greatest potential for

carrying significant volumes of freight. Inland

waterways and narrow canals are less suitable but can

be used for localised specialist markets. This section

focuses on how local authorities can help to facilitate

and promote the development of inland waterways by

protecting existing wharves and facilities, promoting

new wharves and facilities and encouraging waterside

development that can make use of water transport.

13.6 Potential of Waterborne Freight

There are approximately 5,100 km of fully navigable

waterways in England and Wales. Currently, most of

the freight traffic carried on inland waterways is

‘traditional’, i.e. high-bulk, low-value, and non-urgent.

Examples include coal, fuel oil, aggregates, steel,

timber, grain and waste.

Most of the larger waterways have significant capacity

for freight and can make a contribution to reducing the

growth of heavy goods vehicle movements at a local

and regional level. Where inland waterways are

accessible to sea-going vessels, modal shift for longer

domestic journeys may also be possible.

13.7 Effective Planning for FreightTransport Using InlandWaterways

Protecting and promoting inland waterway freight

requires wider development to be targeted in such a

way that the ability of waterways to carry freight is not

impaired, and the markets that may be served by

waterways are located where waterways can be

effective. Planning can influence the following keyelements:

The protection of existing wharves and freight

traffic facilities

The promotion of new wharves and facilities

Encouragement for new land uses requiring

planning permission to make use of water

transport

Ensuring that waterside sites with real potential

for water freight are not used by businesses or

land uses that do not benefit from access to

water transport

Action Points

For many areas, inland waterways may only have a

very minor, if any, role in the movement of freight.

Where applicable, it is recommended that the

following action points be considered:

Understand the role that water freight plays inthe movement of goods within an area and how

it can be used to support the supply chain of

local industries

In partnership with stakeholders, identify

schemes that have potential to transfer goods

vehicle traffic to inland waterways

Consider the role of planning policy in

facilitating the future movement of freight byinland waterways

Look at the scope for the movement of waste

and recyclable materials by inland waterways



Promotion of the development corridor concept

along the length of a waterway with potential for

freight use

The availability of dry docks

Policy

In terms of policy formation, the national Planning

Policy Guidance (PPG) includes policies on protecting

and promoting freight traffic on inland waterways. All

English regions have an estuary, tidal river or a large

non-tidal navigation within their area. It is therefore

important for the RSS to give a strong lead on the role

of inland waterways within each region. This could

include the identification of strategic waterway

corridors, or giving a lead to development plans on

land allocations that promote water transport (e.g.

protection of operational wharves).

Development Control

It is also important that development control decisions

reflect policy. In relation to waterside sites, the views of

the navigation authority and freight operators should be

sought with regard to whether sites could have

potential for freight use. Planning permissions can also

be given with a condition to secure access by water.

Partnerships

Government grants are available to assist with the

extra costs that may be associated with the movement

of freight by water. Freight Facilities Grants can be

used to provide funding for freight handling facilities.

See Chapters 15 and 16 for more information.

Public Sector Use of Water Transport

In encouraging sustainable distribution through the

development of water transport, local authorities are

often able to lead by example. There are particular

opportunities for this in the movement of waste and

recyclable materials, as whilst much of the waste

disposal is managed by the private sector, the entireindustry is public sector-led and, as a result, subject to

influence and direction. Waste and recyclables can be

suitable for water transport and fulfil the high-bulk and

low-value criteria. Movement of waste by water

currently takes place in London and there are many

opportunities for other local authorities to follow.

Railfreight can be a low cost option, making it easier to

switch freight from road to rail

The Freight Best Practice programme’s guidePlanning for Freight on Inland Waterways

describes the policy and practical issues that

can be implemented to encourage freight

transport by water. This includes the following:

Effective policy formation

Effective development control

Partnerships

Public sector use of water transport

These are developed further below.



14.1 Introduction

The ability of local road and rail networks to provide

effective access to airports and seaports is something

that local authorities can help to monitor and improve.

This can be achieved either through developing

linkages between LTP strategy and development plans,

or by relating them to programmed infrastructure

improvements and transport initiatives.

Of all freight traffic, 95% passes through seaports and

the volumes of airfreight are also increasing. It is

therefore important to recognise that the ability of ports

and airports to handle freight quickly and efficiently is

influenced not only by their handling capacity or

docking capabilities, but also by the ease and speed

with which freight is delivered to the port and

dispatched to end-users.

14.2 National Freight Policy

Ports

Government policy is to promote high environmental

standards in the design and operation of ports,

including where new development is justified. The

policy also aims to enhance environmental and

operational performance by encouraging the provision

of multi-modal access to markets.

The 2004 Government White Paper ‘The Future of

Transport: A Network for 2030’ states that there is a

need to take stock of how the ports industry is to meet

the country’s overall needs in the longer term. Chapters

4 and 5 of the discussion document for the ports policy

review (May 2006) starts to address a number of

issues relating to the sustainable future of the logistics

sector.

The broader impacts of port activity are tackled in

Chapter 4 of the document, with reference to the

national and local scales. The key issues to consider

are:

The importance of ports to international trade

and economic development, including the

Government's strategic interests in competition

and resilience

The importance of ports to regional development,

examining transport and wider arguments for

Government involvement, with questions on the

nature and scope of possible interventions and

their justification

The Government's role in respect of smaller

ports, again with questions about the case and

criteria for possible interventions

The connectivity of ports to road, rail and inland

waterway networks is examined in Chapter 5 of the

discussion document, including their funding. Again,

these issues cover a range of scales. The key

questions raised are:

Should more be done to encourage short sea

shipping?

Action Points

The following actions are suggested as a way forward

in maximising the potential of seaports and airports for

the movement of freight:

Work with seaports and airports in developing a

high-quality and integrated surface access

strategy appropriate to the needs of each

location

Involve a variety of stakeholders to arrive at

agreed outcomes

Include port and airport representatives in

freight partnerships

14 Improving Access to Seaports and Airports



Are the external impacts of ports adequately

dealt with through regulation, development

funding and by other means?

How far can or should port developers fund

inland transport networks, which necessarily offer

open access by other means?

Are port development issues sufficiently takeninto account in network providers’ investment

criteria and priorities?

The consultation closed on 1st September 2006

and the Government is aiming to complete the

review during the first half of 2007. Updated

information can be found on www.dft.gov.uk

Airports

The Government has made it clear that airports arepart of our national infrastructure and need to be

planned and developed in that context. Transport

delivery agencies, regional bodies, local authorities and

the devolved administrations will need to take account

of likely future airport development when drawing up

transport plans.

The speed of delivery that air freight can offer is an

increasingly important factor for many modern

businesses, especially where just-in-time practices and

high-value commodities are concerned. Air freight isparticularly competitive for low weight goods and tends

to involve the overnight delivery of parts/equipment for

production lines, resolving potentially bigger impacts.

The Air Transport White Paper expressed the

Government’s wish to accommodate the anticipated

growth in the demand for air freight, subject to the

satisfactory resolution of environmental concerns. The

ability to meet the worldwide rapid delivery and logistics

requirements of modern businesses is an important

factor in assuring the future competitiveness of both the

UK and regional economies.

14.3 Role of the Local Authority

Ports

The majority of municipal ports are owned and

operated by the local authority. However, a small

proportion lease the port to private operators and this,

of course, confers specific responsibilities to meet the

sustainable and environmental needs laid out inGovernment policy.

In May 2006, alongside the discussion document ‘Ports

Policy - Your Views Invited’, the Department for

Transport, together with DCLG and the Welsh

Assembly Government, published its review of

municipal ports in England and Wales, ‘Opportunities

for Ports in Local Authority Ownership’. This set out a

range of findings and recommendations relating to

governance, planning, financing and accountability. Therecommendations include the formation of harbour

management committees (HMCs) along the lines

previously recommended for trust ports, and the use of

‘assured accounts’ to help keep port finances distinct

and support borrowing to fund worthwhile capital

investment.

Turning to the role of local authorities in relation to

ports more generally, many of the key access links to

major ports are controlled by the Highways Agency and

Network Rail. Although these links are outside theoperational remit of local authorities, local authority

roads may also be critical, and the duties of local

planning authorities within the RSS/RTS framework as

discussed earlier.

It is also advised that local authorities should

encourage industry/warehousing to locate on rail-

connected sites. However, if the sites chosen are not

well connected to the transport network there should be

sufficient investment from the promoter. This will

encourage wider benefits, such as improved links to

inland logistics centres.

Authorities should liaise with ports, in addition to other

key logistics companies, on issues relating to

sustainable, efficient and reliable access. This is

important as surface access strategies look to embrace

wider issues and can be important in the case of large

ports that are both traffic generators and key economic

and social drivers. As such, they can attract related

‘spin-off’ logistics developments that create a further



demand for efficient surface access. Value can be

added from utilising rail infrastructure, as non-port

related road/rail interchanges in addition to sea/rail will

also benefit.

Airports

High-quality and well-integrated surface accessprovision is of fundamental importance in supporting

future airport development. Development proposals

supported in the 2003 White Paper will have significant

medium to long-term implications for all the main

surface transport modes. It is a well-established

principle that airport operators are expected to meet

the full costs of connection, maintenance and any other

enhancements needed to accommodate the resulting

traffic. However, local authorities have an important role

in facilitating the delivery of the required improvements.

The development of a long-term surface accessstrategy to accompany airport master plans is important

and requires effective collaboration between airports

and local authorities.

The process of option identification and selection of

preferred options is also one which should include a

variety of stakeholders in order to arrive at agreed

outcomes. Finally, there is a need for the strategies and

plans to be well integrated within development plans in

order to provide a context and steering for subsequent

planning applications.

14.4 Strategic Surface Access Arrangements

Roads within the responsibilities of the Highways

Agency or rail lines under the responsibility of the

Department for Transport often form the most

substantial contribution to the efficient operation of

ports or airports. Where this is the case, the local

authority’s role may be limited to lobbying through theregional planning body, regional development agency

and, indeed, direct with the Highways Agency or

Department for Transport.

Air freight surface access is just as important as runway

capacity in ensuring an efficient supply chain



Solution Process

15 Communication and Partnership

16 Funding

49



15.1 Introduction

Effective communication across stakeholder groups is

key to the successful planning and management of

freight. A mechanism of ensuring this is to set up a

partnership between industry, local government, local

businesses, the local community, environmental groups

and other interested stakeholders. Officers who have

particular experience of an issue are encouraged to

communicate with officers in other areas to share

knowledge. Partnerships (often known as FQPs) aim to

provide an understanding of freight transport issues

and problems, and promote constructive solutions

which reconcile the need for access to goods and

services with local environmental and social concerns.

15.2 Aims of Freight Partnerships

Freight partnerships aim to encourage best practice,reducing the adverse effects of freight on the

environment and implementing economical, safe and

efficient freight transport. They provide a forum for

industry and local and regional government to work

together to realise this aim. Partnerships can also

provide local authorities with the means to formalise

the consultation and development work undertaken

through their freight strategy.

15.3 Types of Partnership

Although partnerships can take any form endorsed by

those involved, they can usually be categorised into

these five types of partnership:

Regional strategic partnerships

Local transport plan area wide

Town or district wide

Company or location specific

Issue specific

For further details see the Freight Best

Practice guides on Profit through

Partnership and Freight Quality

Partnerships.

Action Points

In looking to develop partnership links, it is important

to establish and validate the need for a partnership

and decide on the issues it will address.

If sufficient support can be established, the next steps

are to:

Explore funding opportunities for setting up a

partnership

Explore funding opportunities for setting up a

partnership

Set the objectives for the partnership and

decide who to involve

Establish the problems and issues that are

pertinent to the partnership

Draw up an action plan to address the identified

problems and issues that can be implemented

over an identifiable time span, comprising of

short, medium and long-term actions

Focus on maintaining momentum through

delivery of the action plan and effectively

communicate the achievements of the

partnership

15 Communication and Partnership



15.4 Benefits of Partnerships

The real value of a partnership is that it brings together

stakeholders to work out the best practical solutions to

specific freight problems. Some key benefits that a

partnership can be part of delivering are:

Enhancing understanding

Increasing knowledge

Stimulating best practice

Increasing freight efficiency

Local authorities can foster these benefits if they focus

on practical deliverables that link into the promotion of

sustainable actions. These include:

Environmental benefits - lower vehicle emissions

and reduced noise levels which help to lighten

the congestion burden and can create a more

urban friendly environment

Economic benefits - economic growth and

regeneration, reduced costs for businesses, and

better conditions for lorry drivers

Societal benefits - reduced nuisance, increased

safety, and promotion of social inclusion

The clear evidence to date is that only active

management and determination on behalf of mainlylocal authorities and, to a lesser extent, support from

the freight industry will ensure tangible and worthwhile

outputs. Local authorities can bring effective land use

planning and traffic management, whilst the freight

industry can bring efficient vehicle utilisation, driver

training and urban-friendly vehicles.

15.5 Establishing a Partnership

The format of partnerships should be appropriate to the

scale and type of perceived problems, from region-wide

to partnership with an individual authority. Before

establishing a partnership, it is important to know what

the main issues it will address are and how the

partnership will help to address these issues, which in

turn will define the objectives. Objectives should be

SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic

and Timed).

The participants should suit the objectives and each

one should be able to make a contribution. It can bebeneficial for the authority to appoint a freight

champion or single focal point to take overall

responsibility of the partnership and indeed the wider

freight strategy within the LTP. It may be appropriate to

explore possibilities for obtaining funding at this stage.

15.6 Partnership Action Plans

An early priority should be to develop a detailed action

plan that sets out the specific initiatives that the

partnership will undertake. The process for developing

an action plan could involve:

Identifying specific issues and problems

Agreeing upon solutions

Implementing the action plan

15.7 Maintaining Momentum

Sustaining the interest of members and maintaining a

broad base of involvement are important for the

success and effectiveness of a partnership. Involving

businesses and freight industry partners and altering

the frequency and timing of meetings will help to

maintain the viability of the group. In addition,

publicising the existence of the partnership is important

for increasing its influence and raising its profile

amongst all stakeholders. It is important for local

authorities to allocate specific responsibility to

individual officers in order to maintain momentum to

achieve a successful partnership.

Whatever the type of partnership, the important

characteristic is that it provides a mechanism for the

freight industry, local businesses, the local community

and local government to work together in partnership to

produce tangible solutions to real freight transport

problems. The case study, on page 52, highlights the

actions identified as part of the Tyne and Wear Freight

Action Plan.



Case Study 10: Tyne and Wear FreightPartnership Action Plan

The Tyne and Wear Freight Partnership was set up

following the completion of the Nature of Freight

Study. The partnership has identified a number of

actions under ‘Do Now’ and ‘Do Soon’, with ‘Do Now’

actions including the development of a lorry routing

strategy, reviewing signage and driver information,

and forming a freight partnership to oversee the

implementation of the action plan.

Elements of the action plan identified under ‘Do

Soon’ included:

Air quality - monitoring and modelling at

agreed locations in the area

Congestion points - liaise with highway

authorities regarding improved operation of thenetwork

Priority for goods vehicles - undertake ‘before’

and ‘after’ monitoring of the ‘no car’ lanes

implemented in Tyne and Wear

Highway design and maintenance - liaise with

highway authorities to ensure HGV

requirements are covered in design

considerations

Address urban town centre delivery problems -

review urban centres to identify potential

improvements

Vans and home shopping deliveries - further

investigate the nature of van use

Driver facilities - investigate the impact of

facilities’ shortages and consider measures for

improvement

Driver shortages - review public sector support

for driver training programmes and consider

opportunities for improved co-ordination

between authorities and other agencies

Foreign vehicles - locate foreign language

information boards and create multilingual

information leaflets

Consolidation centres - approach retailers with

a view to trialling a consolidation centre



16.1 Overview

The LTP is likely to provide the primary source of

funding for the measures and interventions identified

within this guide. There are further opportunities

identified within this section which relate to Freight

Grants to support modal shift from road to rail or water,the Transport Innovation Fund, Section 106 of the Town

and Country Planning Act 1990 and the European

Regional Development Fund.

16.2 Local Transport Plans

The Local Transport Plan Guidance (DfT, December

2004) recommends that authorities demonstrate the

benefits of their local transport programmes and

policies in sections reflecting the four shared priorities(i.e. accessibility, congestion, air quality and road

safety). It also states that all modes, including freight,

are important to the delivery of two or more of the four

shared priorities. The guide has established strong

links between freight and the priorities of congestion,

air quality and road safety.

Whilst there are limits to funding available through the

LTP settlement, it does represent the largest single

source of funding for the type of measures identified

within this guide. The potential of these measures to

assist in the delivery of the four shared priorities should

therefore be considered in the allocation of available

resources.

16.3 Freight Grants to Support ModeShift (Rail and Water)

Assessment of the case for funding of any proposal

focuses on measurable outcomes, in order for the

funding to be directed where it secures best value for

money. Funding will be prioritised to those proposals

which provide the best value for money. For rail and

water modal shift schemes, assessment is based upon

the use of Sensitive Lorry Miles (SLMs place a value

for every lorry mile removed from the road network).

Freight Facility Grants (FFG)

These were introduced to promote the transfer of

goods from road to rail or water, by providing financial

support for the purchase of assets and facilities

necessary for the carriage of freight by rail or water.

There is a role for local authorities in advising on

applications for grants, in particular, handling the

associated planning requirements, if required. Further information about FFGs can be obtained from the

Freight Logistics section of the Department for

Transport website www.dft.gov.uk.

Action Points

There are a number of available sources of funding,

which include:

Local Transport Plans - need to demonstrate

benefits for shared priorities

Freight Grants - need to be aware of what is

available for freight generators

Transport Innovation Fund - focus on demand

management, but can fit freight into an

application

Section 106 - Freight can be considered within

the agreement with the developer

European Regional Development Fund -

deployed in freight-related developments which

have spin-offs such as job creation, enhanced

infrastructure in deprived areas etc

16 Funding

Local transport plans aim to reduce congestion, which will

help to improve air quality and road safety



17 Bibliography

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs,

‘Sustainable Consumption and Production Indicators:

Basket of ‘Decoupling’ Indicators’ (December 2005)

Department for Transport, ‘A New Deal for Transport:

Better for Everyone’ (July 1998) White Paper

Department for Transport, ‘Sustainable Distribution: A

Strategy’ (1999)

Department for Transport, ‘The Full Guidance on Local

Transport Plans’, Second Edition (December 2004)

Department for Transport, ‘The Future of Air Transport’

(December 2003) White Paper

Department for Transport, ‘The Future of Transport: A

Network for 2030’ (July 2004) White Paper

Department for Transport, Traffic Advisory Leaflet ITS

1/05 ‘Understanding the Benefits and Costs of

Intelligent Transport Systems – A Toolkit Approach’

(July 2005)

Department for Transport, ‘Transport Innovation Fund

Pump Priming Round 1 Criteria’ (July 2005)

Department for Transport, ‘Transport Statistics Great

Britain’, 31st Edition (October 2005)

Department of the Environment, Transport and the

Regions, ‘National Road Traffic Forecasts (Great

Britain)’ (1997)

Planning Policy Guidance 13 (PPG 13) (2002)

Road Traffic Act 1991: Elizabeth II. Chapter 40.

Reprinted January 2005

SRA Annual Report 2004-2005

SRA National Rail Trends Yearbook 2004/05

Town and Country Planning Act 1990

Transport Studies Group: Final Report, University of

Westminster (July 2005)

Office of Rail Regulation, National Rail Trends

Yearbook, 2005/06



Freight Best Practice publications, including those listed below, can be obtained

FREE of charge by calling the Hotline on 0845 877 0 877. Alternatively, they can

be downloaded from the website www.freightbestpractice.org.uk

Saving Fuel

Developing Skills

Equipment and Systems

Operational Efficiency

Performance Management

Public Sector

Fuel Management Guide

This is the definitive guide to improving the fuelperformance of your fleet. It gives step-by-step

explanations of the key elements of fuel

management, how to measure performance and

how to implement an effective improvement

programme.

Home Delivery: Meeting the Needs of

Customers and the Environment

Describes a trial performed in Nottingham by

Royal Mail Group plc that offers an innovative,

environmentally friendly solution to address the

problem of failed deliveries.

Proactive Driver Performance ManagementKeeps Fuel Efficiency on Track

This case study shows how Thorntons

implemented a highly effective driver incentive

scheme combining in-cab driver monitoring,

service delivery levels and accident rates.

Fleet Performance Management ToolThis PC-based spreadsheet tool has been

designed to help fleet operators improve their

operational efficiency using key performance

indicators to measure and manage performance.

The KPIs include costs, operational, service,

compliance and maintenance.

Concise Guide to Computerised VehicleRouting and Scheduling (CVRS)

This quick guide shows the latest routing and

scheduling software products and developments.

Freight Quality Partnersip Guide

This guide provides step-by-step guidance on how

to set up and run an effective Freight Quality

Partnership.

FBP1048 Local Authority Freight Management Guide[1]

Documents

Transcript of FBP1048 Local Authority Freight Management Guide[1]